


Do You Remember

by spaceshipdear



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Peggy's dimension travels might have impacted her more than she thought, Reunions, Smut, Steggy - Freeform, We'll see what happens - Freeform, also no need to watch the tv show before reading, might be tied in with Dr Strange, modern day AU, no real spoilers for AoS, steggy reunion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-09-15 07:37:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9225179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceshipdear/pseuds/spaceshipdear
Summary: Peggy Carter travels through time thanks to an Infinity Stone and she reunites with Steve Rogers in the 21st century. Her time travel might have impacted her in a way she is not expecting.





	1. I like her

**Author's Note:**

> So I originally posted this in my drabbles collection, but for some reason I was inspired to turn this story into a multi-chapters. I have no idea where I'm going with this really, so you've been warned! But yeah I kind of like the idea of exploring this setting.
> 
> Set after the events of Civil War and Agents of SHIELD s4e8 (can probably be read without having seen the tv show).
> 
> Rating because there will be smut in future chapters.

Steve enters the room and is immediately greeted by a familiar face he never thought he would ever see again.

“Fury sure knows how to keep a secret.” He says with a smirk.

“You know that they say, even his secrets have secrets.” Phil Coulson answers with his own smile.

Steve shakes the hand he's extending him.

“Really? Who says that?” Steve replies, amused, as he covers their handshake with his left hand. “It's good to see you Coulson, real good.”

”I believe there is someone else you're going to be happy to see. Probably more than poor old me.” Coulson smirks.

“I'm assuming that if Fury gave you my location it must be important.”

They start walking together in the deserted building corridors.

“Oh Fury didn't exactly give us your location. He just gave us a hint at where you might be but she found you on her own.”

“She...?”

Coulson slides two fingers on his arm, a screen appears on his own skin and Steve tilts his head curiously. He's seen a lot now and isn't surprise with what technology can do anymore but this is a whole new level.

“Ah yes. An unfortunate event that finally gave me a few tricks up my sleeve.” He unscrews and raises his robotic hand which looks fabulously real. “Literally I guess. I have my own little enhancement, does that make one of the Avengers now?”

Steve has a bitter smile.

“I couldn’t say. I'm not really playing for the team anymore.”

They finally reach an isolated room and Coulson opens the door.

“I’ll see you later, Cap.” He nods and leaves Steve to entered the dimly lighted room by a single lamp set on a table, the only piece of furniture in the space.

Once his eyes get used to the darker light, he notices someone standing there in the dark. She turns around and his mouth opens slightly and lets out a sigh he has apparently been holding ever since he last saw her, 70 years ago.

She’s silent, standing still, eyes wide and roaming on him as she isn’t believing either what she sees.

“Hi.” He says in a whisper, barely audible.

“Hello my darling.”

The words get out of her mouth before she even realizes it. Coulson is still standing in the door frame, a faint smile on his face she knows he’s trying to repress.

Peggy glances a look at him and rolls her eyes, amused. “Are you planning on staying Phil?”

“No, m’am.” Coulson bows his head and leaves glancing one last time at Peggy, a happy smile on his features.

There’s just the sound of the door closing behind Coulson and the room suddenly seems so small around the two of them. Steve is still feets away but she can almost feel him hovering over her.

 _Feel_. She can _feel_ him here, so close to her. This presence she was so sure she would never experience again.

“Peggy, I— I don’t understand.” He’s hesitant and she sees he is not entirely sure he can trust her presence here.

“I am not sure I can either.”

This was the truth, everything is so surreal. Since the moment she walked in the halls of the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, to the day Coulson confessed Steve was alive, to now. Here. Him.

She takes a small step tentatively. Her legs are apparently responding, she wasn’t so sure about it. But he doesn’t move. His strong body set in place, like a stone on the ground.

He looks different. Not exactly older, but his face has changed, his traits are deeper, harder. The blue of his eyes are the same but the reflection she sees in them is something else. Something wiser. Darker too.

Before she realizes she closes the gap between them and is only a few inches from him. His breathing is irregular and she hears it perfectly in the silence surrounding them. Her eyes drop to his chest, she watches it heaving up and down for a second. He’s breathing.

He’s alive.

She has to catch herself before letting out a gasp and her now shaking hand is reaching for his chest. She wants to feel his heart beating but she can’t seem to be able to touch him. She’s scared. She’s scared he’s going to fade under her fingers and disappear and this will all go away. She’ll wake up in her flat in DC, alone, tears dripping from her eyes and sad, desperately sad. Just like she had so many times.

“Peggy.” He whispers again. This time his voice has soften, the surprise and suspicion are gone. Maybe there is pain in it.

But she’s unable to speak and all she can do is let him put his strong arms around her and pull her in an embrace. When her cheek touches his collarbones she closes her eyes letting a tear escape the prison of her lashes.

“You’re alive.” He’s the one finally speaking after God knows how long. They have been standing here against each other, letting their muscles, their skin, their nerves allow themselves to remember how it feels to be so close.

She breathes deeply and pulls back to look into his eyes.

“I could say the same thing about you.”

He chuckles and she can feel it running through her whole body.

When his large hand sets on her cheek she just leans into his touch.

“Apparently I travelled through time and dimensions and landed at S.H.I.E.L.D. I’m still not sure this, all this is real.”

“I’m real.” He whispers again, like he doesn’t want anyone else but her to hear it.

“Yes.”

She feels her heels leave the ground to step on her toes and closes the space between their lips. It’s soft. Warm. It’s electrifying and calming at the same time. She has no words for how it really feels to finally kiss him again.

His hand tightens around her waist and she takes the fabric of his shirt into her fists before slowly letting go of the warmth of his lips.

“I apologize I didn’t think I would ever be able to do this again.” She says a little breathless.

A smirk is forming on his lips and she can feel the blush on her cheeks from appearing.

“No apologies needed.”

She suddenly feels a little awkward grasping his shirt like her life depended on it. Clearing her throat she lets go and moves away slowly.

She doesn’t go far, merely a couple of steps. He apparently won’t let her, his hand still resting on her waist.

“They told me you woke up a few years ago?”

“Yeah. Yeah they dug me out of the ice and I woke up in the 21st century if you can believe.”

She raises her brown with a knowing look and an adorable smile.

“Well yeah I guess you can.” His hand slips out of her waist and goes to brush the back of his neck. She already misses the heat radiating from it.

“I was in London.” She tells him “In 1949, which is probably the key point of my story. We were trying to infiltrate an old convent where Howard detected irregular seismic activities for the area. I’m still not sure what happened at this time. I was vacuumed into a portal and I felt light-headed and confused and next thing I know I’m here. Now.”

“An inter-dimensional portal? ”

“That’s what Phil and Jemma believe, yes.” She realises he might not know who Jemma Simmons is since he’s not affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore but he doesn’t press it.

“Coulson said you found us?”

“Yes I did. Well I had the help of a few people at this new S.H.I.E.L.D. organization. Nothing remotely similar to what Howard and I built in my time if I may add.”

She starts pacing in the room and Steve leans back on the table behind him.

“I don’t know I wasn’t sure where to look, everything is so different and foreign.” She sees him arch a brow in agreement. “I had no clue where to start. Phil helped me get my hands on a few files recalling your last known locations. The agents Fitz and Simmons, or Fitzsimmons I don’t know everyone calls them that. Apparently they mash up couple names now.”

She makes a gesture with her hands and he chuckles looking at her.

She pauses. “I’m sorry. I guess I have to admit I’m a little nervous.”

Steve seems so calm. So composed and serious. She is a little confused to see him that way and for her to be the fidgeting one.

“What did Fitzsimmons do then?” He asks when he notices that she has stopped talking to study him again.

“Well yes. They— helped me get my hand on a computer machine, I had the help from a brillant young agent too, she broke into the surveillance system. We located you on an airport camera in Wakanda. And from there it was easier to understand your movements. Long story short, I was lucky Natasha Romanoff picked up that message I sent.”

Steve grabs her hand as she walks by him in her pacing.

“You weren’t lucky Peg. You’re a great spy.”

She doesn’t want to answer that. She hasn’t been a spy in a long time. She’s an agent, the highest ranked S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, a team leader. She’s the Director. And she can feel the gap of these missing years between them in his words.

“Steve, what happened in Wakanda? What happened to Bucky?”

He drops his eyes on the floor and tightens his fingers around hers.

“You know about Bucky.”

“Only what I could glanced in the files that were available to me.”

She sees the pain in his eyes, the guilt tightening the traits of his face.

“He’s okay. He’ll be okay.” He offers her a small nod.

“Will you?” She crooks her head to be able to look into his eyes.

Steve lifts his head when the door of the room opens in a loud crack. She puts her hand away and goes directly to the gun in the back of her jeans.

A woman comes in followed by a tall black man. It’s too dark where they stand for Peggy to be certain she recognizes them.

“We gotta move.” The woman states bluntly.

She glances very briefly at Peggy and the hand hidden behind her before going back to Steve.

“This is Natasha. And Sam. They’re friendly.” Steve reassures her firmly while setting a hand in the small of her back.

Peggy’s hand relaxes and she puts the gun back in the hem of her jeans. Steve takes her hand and they look into each other’s eyes before exiting the room and walking down the halls of the abandoned building.

Coulson is nowhere to be seen. She doesn’t have to ask, she knows he’s long gone now. He told her after all that this wasn’t his mission. It was hers. And she succeeded.

Deep down she knows he’s proud. He has this way of worrying about others, of feeling like he needs to help and protect. She was glad she had met him and she sure as hell would miss working alongside him and his S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. It didn’t matter if it only was a couple of months, she knew how to recognize a makeshift family. Just as she had witnessed so many time in the war and after. With the Howling commandos, with Howard and Mr Jarvis. These people at S.H.I.E.L.D. are a family and she hopes to cross their paths again someday. If only to return the favor.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Peggy Carter.” Sam tells her as they progress in the dark corridors. “Weirdly I haven’t hear that much about you.” He throws a look at Steve who pretends to ignore him. “Read a lot in history books though. You’re a tough lady. And a pretty one too. Someone failed to mentioned it.”

“I imagine you want me to thank you?” She answers wryly.

Sam starts laughing while the corner of Steve’s lips tweak up.

“How many time did I tell you not to make fun of your elders Sam?” Natasha finally speaks. Her tone is strangely light when her face shows absolutely no emotions.

It doesn’t take Peggy more to understand that the reports weren’t lying about her. She can see Steve shaking his head slightly in annoyance in the corner of her eyes.

“No, let him laugh. Nothing better to be underestimated, it gives the advantage.” Peggy answers just as lightly as Natasha has.

The redhead turns her head to look at her with a delighted smile while opening the heavy front door. Behind it an helicopter is whirring on the roof, waiting for them.

“I like her!” She hears Natasha scream at Steve over the sound of the roaring engine.

He tries not to glance at Peggy and pushes her inside the aircraft.

“Me too!” She hears him respond behind her back.

The two of them sit on the back while Sam takes commands and Natasha takes place next to him.

Once they have buckled up Steve turns to her and grabs her hand again. She squeezes back as the helicopter lifts from the ground.


	2. Not just yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously the infamous Staron kiss never happened in this AU. 
> 
> This is still unbeta'ed, sorry and thank you for reading!

Peggy opens her eyes in a start. She’s confused for a few seconds before recollecting her bearings and finally remembering where she is.

There’s a strong and warm presence in her back from which she can feel the heat radiating. She also feels the warmth of his hand resting on her waist. She closes her eyes firmly and inhales before letting a relieved breath through her mouth.

The feeling of dread gradually fades away as she slows her breathing. She’s used of waking up at night shivering and terrified. She doesn’t exactly understand why, she never could. She only remembers the darkness and the fear. But she knows it started not long after the Walkyrie disappeared at the bottom of the ocean. The end of the war took another toll at her. She should have been relieved that all the horror was over but her mind couldn’t chase the memories. Everything she’s seen, experienced and felt, her worst cold days behind the trenches come back to haunt her at night.

Steve was apparently still asleep behind her. They never talked about it nor planned to be sharing a bed last night. Sam had flown them back to their current hiding location, Steve mentioned they never really stayed stationed in the same place for too long. He took her to the one room apartment he currently occupied at the top floor of an abandoned building in Detroit. He reheated some food in a microwave. From all the new technology Peggy had witnessed so far this was probably her favorite, being the worst cook the Earth had ever know.

They talked until late at night, sitting next to each other in the kitchenette. Steve explained what he and the Avengers who chose to side with him have been doing in last few months following the events in Siberia. A lot of hiding, some intel gathering and quietly trying to stay out of Tony’s and the UN’s radar.

Peggy described some more how she managed to contact them. How determined she was during these past few months. She didn’t tell him how much she cried after she found out he was alive, alone in her cell. She had grieved him for years, thinking he was dead. She had tried to put him in a corner of her heart to be able to move on. With no success at all. She had never really moved on. And during all that time he was alive, barely, frozen in ice, waiting for her to find him. She should have found him. She should have never let go.

No matter the guilt she felt since that day, she still explained Howard had tried to locate his body for months. She told him about his blood and how she poured it in the Hudson river. He reached for her hand when the tears started forming in her eyes and gave her the strength to keep them at bay.

He talked about Bucky. At lengths. She has the feeling she is the first person he’s really talked to about Bucky, at least with that much details and honestly. She’s starting to understand the bond he has formed with some of the former Avengers. She knows he trusts them with his life. But Peggy and him have something else. Something deeper, stronger. And he shares an even much powerful bond with Bucky. Their relationship is beyond words.

He wouldn’t tell the others but he could tell her how the guilt is eating him from inside. How relieved he was when Bucky finally recognized him. And how angry at himself he felt when seeing Bucky at his worse he wished his friend had actually died falling from that train so he wouldn’t have had to experience all the manipulation and the horror Hydra put him through.

Steve asked about her life after the war. She spoke about her dull days at the SSR, about Howard and how they started S.H.I.E.L.D.

She didn’t tell him about Daniel, about their engagement. She was not ready, not when she just had him back. Just like he couldn’t tell her he attended her funeral and carried her casket, visited her in the hospital, coming back from every visits raw and desperate that he had missed a whole life with her.

After a while Peggy could see sleep creeping into his eyes and his smiles. The dark circles under his eyes hinted her that he probably didn’t get much sleep these days. She stood up without letting go of his hand and took them to the bed in the corner of the room. She kicked her shoes off and he did the same before laying together above the covers in their clothes, face to face, looking into each other’s eyes before Steve’s closed reluctantly and he fell asleep. Only then Peggy allowed herself to drift away into sleep.

Now the sun was barely up and she woke up terrified he was still dead and it was just all a mirage. But she feels the heat below his heavy hand resting on her waist. She has turned around during the night and now he is not exactly spooning her but he is close enough that she has to fight the need to scoot back to actually feel his body against her.

For long minutes she just stays awake, listening to his breathing and concentrating on the touch of his fingertips through the fabric of her blouse. But nature finally calls and she has to get up to go to the restroom.

She extricates herself from his hold as slowly and quietly as she can and walks to the bathroom on the other side of the apartment.

Once she has relieved herself she walks back into the main room just as quietly. Steve is still asleep, he has turned around to face the wall. She stays for a few seconds watching his back and the muscles heaving up and down deeply and regularly. She feels a smile form on her lips. That’s new. Smiling has always come with great difficulty after waking up so startled.

She walks the short distance to the kitchen counter and opens the fridge to take a small bottle of water. She drinks almost half of it before glancing back in the fridge again. Save some pizza leftovers and a couple of ready-made plates like the one they shared last night, it’s almost empty. She silently chuckles thinking that this could very much look like her own fridge back in DC. Back in 1949 she think. Her smile deflates. It still feels utterly unreal, being here in the 21st century, even after months.

Simmons and Fitz explained at lengths that they are unable to know if she even belongs to this dimension. Which she has a very hard time to grasp. She knows she traveled through time, that is an absolute certainty, but dimensions?

They spoke about multiple iterations of our universe, created every time someone makes a decision, like multiple timelines existing in the same moment but carrying different events. Maybe this is what she was, an anomaly. Maybe she shouldn’t be here at all.

Their theory is mostly based on the fact that another Peggy existed in this dimension. And it impacted widely the world as it is today. She built S.H.I.E.L.D. with Howard. She had a family.

Children.

She refused to learn more about them when they announced the news. She still refuses to know who she married.

Does that mean that two versions of herself existed in this dimension? Or that she doesn’t belong here at all?

If it was just time travel, plain and simple like Fitz said, although Peggy didn’t really understand how time travel could be just _plain and simple_. If it was just that, then her disappearance in 1949 would mean the past should have been changed. That life the other Peggy had live shouldn’t have existed at all after the day she went through the portal. Unless some time in her current future she travels back to her timeline and ends up living the life she’s supposed to.

It still doesn’t make a lot of sense and right now she can't imagine going back. She might have lost her position at S.H.I.E.L.D., her life, her friends, Jarvis, Howard, Angie. She refuses to think about them either. They are all dead and buried now. She doesn’t want to grieve them. It doesn’t feel right. But, no, she knows now she can’t go back. Not when Steve’s here with her, alive and real.

She’s lost in her thoughts, staring at the emptiness of the fridge when she hears his raspy voice right behind her.

“Sorry about the lack of breakfast.”

She lets out a gasp in surprise and turns around to find him a few inches from her body. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head a little when she sees him smirk, seemingly very happy that he startled her.

Steve takes the bottle from her hand and lifts it to his lips. She watches his Adam’s apple roll as he drinks and how his eyelashes flutter when he opens back his eyes and immediately sets them on her.

He throws the empty bottle in a trash can by the fridge and stands where he is without moving. The air in the room is suddenly closing on her. She’s mesmerised by his presence and his eyes roaming all over her.

Steve takes a strand of her hair and curls it around his fingers. He carefully studies her features. Breathing is starting to become difficult as the air grown heavier and it suddenly feels too warm for Peggy. She can feel bloody butterflies in her stomach. She’s become so foreign to the feeling it starts to make her uncomfortable.

“I huh— Shall we go out to fetch some food?” She tries to hide the uneasiness in her voice, still coarse from waking up minutes ago.

His fingers slide from her hair to the exposed skin of her collarbone peeking from the cleavage of her blouse. The touch sends shivers through her whole body and she can’t repress the smile forming on her lips at the surprise of his boldness. The Steve she knew back during the war would have never shown so much initiative, that was a certain fact.

When his thumb starts forming circles and caressing her skin under the hem of her blouse, she has to close her eyes to steady herself. She lets a low satisfied moan escape her lips and she doesn’t have to look at him to know he’s smiling about it. He’s definitely grown that cocky.

“Not just yet.” He whispers and when she reopens her eyes he’s gotten even closer.

She just has time to blink a couple of times before his hand moves to the back of her head and tilts it to kiss her. His lips are still a little wet from the water he just drank. He doesn’t rush it, takes his time, simply presses his lips on hers. When Peggy’s hands slide from his shoulders to the nape of his neck, she feels his mouth open slightly and follows his lead. His tongue is warm and firm and she lets him invade her as he encircles her fully in his arms.

He’s never been so close to her body, it’s the first time she can actually feel so much of him and it’s intoxicating.

She pushes him until his backside hits the kitchen counter and she presses herself against him. The groan she can hear escaping his mouth gives her even more confidence. She pushes herself further between his legs and he breaks the kiss to look into her eyes. He’s hard and so hot against her, she knows he wants her desperately. His eyes can’t lie either, his pupils are fully blown despite the morning light now flooding the room. He’s panting and when she watches how his lips are red and swollen from their kiss, she can’t help herself and bits her bottom lip.

He barely has the time to lean onto her to resume the kiss that she grabs his belt buckle and turns him around, taking his place against the counter. She jumps up to sit on it and jerks him towards her, yanking at his t-shirt’s collar more roughly than she intended. He’s following her lead like the good soldier he is and wriggles his hips to place himself between her legs.

The kiss is deeper and more desperate than before. She hooks her legs behind him and fully feels him. She starts rocking against him causing Steve to groan in her mouth even louder. It feels so good it sends stars behind her eyes and she grips at the back of his shirt almost scratching his skin under it.

Steve slides his hands under her bottom and she feels herself being lifted from the counter. He carries her all the way to the bed without even breaking the kiss.

He drops her on the bed unceremoniously and she just has the time to lift herself on her elbows before he takes off his t-shirt rashly.

She loses herself in the moment looking at him. God his body is phenomenal, even more than she remembered. He lets her take him in for a few seconds fighting a content smirk. But when she licks her lips still mesmerized by his body, he immediately knees and starts crawling above her all the way up to capture her mouth.

She takes her blouse off in between kisses and helps him remove her pants hastily.

It’s all going too fast she thinks. They shouldn’t rush it, they should take their time. But then he’s here, he’s on top of her, warm, hot, burning. Burning from his desire for her. A desire they’ve been holding for so many years. She wants him so desperately, she doesn’t understand how she didn’t rip his clothes apart as soon as they stepped into the apartment last night.

He’s kissing her collarbone, moving down and she lifts herself to unclasp her bra. Underwear garments in the 21st are far more practical she can't help but think.

She sees him stop moving to look at her from up close, his eyes seem amazed and terrified at the same time. He lowers his head and brushes his lips on her breasts ever so lightly. She can’t help but arch into him and they both groan when Steve takes her nipple gently between his teeth. He pressed his hand on one breast while the other is caressing her bare stomach. He kisses her skin, licks her breasts, traces the lines of her nipples with his tongue. It feels so damn good.

She pulls him back up to her mouth and starts fumbling with his belt. When his pants and both their underwear are completely out of the way, he crawls back on top of her and pauses there, panting, his cheeks burning hot.

“Peggy…” He whispers above her, frozen in place.

She immediately recognizes that look in his eyes. It’s the same one he had in the car that day, on his way to get the serum and change the entire course of his life.

It was a mix of anticipation and… fear.

She touches his cheek with her hand gently. Suddenly she doesn’t want to rush anything. Suddenly she sees the man she fell in love with years ago at Camp Lehigh.

“Steve. It’s alright, I’m here. I want you.” She murmurs to reassure him.

He lets out the breath she hasn't realize he was holding and she kisses him gently, taking her time, touching his back, caressing his arms, entangling her fingers in his hair. She can feel him tremble under every one of her touches like she was hitting every single nerves in his body.

“I’ve wanted you since the day you took down that stupid poll.” She continues between kisses.

He stops and looks at her, questioning.

“I’ve loved you for so long Steven Rogers.”

He smiles and sighs at the same time.

“I love you Peg, God I missed you.” And he kisses her deeply, both hands wrapped in her hair, holding onto her like she was a lifeline.

She slides her hand between their bodies and encircles him with her fingers, taking her time. His breath catches and he drops his head in the hollow of her neck when she starts stroking him slowly, murmuring that she wants him, how good he feels.

She helps him guide himself inside her and he doesn’t move at first, looking into her eyes. She lifts her hips slightly and he takes the hint. He pushes in deeper, slowly, tentatively at first, until his pace finally sets. She knows he’s trying to take it slow, not to hurt her. He has such strength, he’s probably trying to control it, to control himself too to make it last.

He feels impossibly good, almost too good and she has to close her eyes, feeling the heat rising from her belly.

Steve keeps his eyes locked on her face, studying every reaction she has. Every time she pushes her head back onto the pillow, arching. Every time she moans. Until it becomes too much and she catches him closing his eyes forcefully. He’s close and she doesn’t want to make him wait any longer, they already waited too long. She takes his hand and guides him between her legs.

He opens his eyes again and looks at her in surprise.

“Follow my lead.” She tells him firmly and he nods, almost out of breath.

She applies his fingers on her sensitive nub and starts circling, showing him the pressure and the pace. He quickly falls into the right motion and she lets go of his hand. She makes a sound of unabashed appreciation that almost undo him. He seems fascinated by the effect it has on her and doesn’t take his eyes of her face.

And then he pushes inside her again.

“Oh God!” She gasps and hears him mutter a cuss in return.

Peggy grips at his shoulders and calls his name when she comes. She feels herself clench around him and he follows her almost immediately into her orgasm.

Steve stays on top of her, panting, eyes closed and trying not to crush her with his weight. When he finally rolls and lies down next to her, she’s smiling and catches her bottom lip between her teeth.

Steve pulls the sheet up to their waists and Peggy slightly turns around to lay on her side and face him.

She lays her hand on the muscle of his chest to feel how hard it feels under her fingers and how soft his skin is. Undoubtedly phenomenal.

“I was definitely not expecting this when Nat picked up your message.” He lets out, still breathing heavily.

She chuckles and looks up to see him smiling blissfully.

“I had imagine a lot of things when I was searching for you but honestly this didn’t even crossed my mind.” She answers.

He turns his head to look at her, the smile slowly fading.

“The simple idea of seeing you in the flesh, alive and breathing and real. It was already more that I had ever dreamt of. I would have given my life to just hold you in my arms for one second.” She tells him with such honesty she can see tears filling his eyes almost instantly.

She surprises herself. She’s not exactly the touchy-feely type and usually has quite a hard time sharing how she feels. For some reason, all her barriers went down as soon as she saw Steve Rogers walk into that dark room yesterday.

“Peggy.” He can just answer.

She gets on her elbow to kiss him softly. He splays his large hand behind her head to firmly press her lips into his.

Peggy pulls back and looks at him.

“This was…” Steve stars, trying to find the words. “This was far better than anything I imagined.”

“That's because we are something else.” She smiles at him.

He chuckles in response.

“And something else we do need to think of for next time is prophylactics.” She arches her brow. “I'm under the impression that they are much easier to come by these days.”

She can see his cheeks blush ever so slightly and she finds it adorable that despite what they just did and having lived in this century for a few years now, he can still get shy around this type of crude, yet practical talk.

“Well huh— like I said, I wasn't exactly expecting this when we picked up your message.”

“I would have imagined you were already equipped.” She teased him lightly.

He frowns and Peggy realizes she's touched on something there when he stays silent and don’t answer to her teasing.

“Are you telling me there's never been anyone since you came back?” She tentatively asks.

“No. No one.”

“Steve.” She touches his cheek. “Do you mean this was your first— the first time for you?”

“Yeah.” He confesses in a breath.

He doesn't look ashamed. He doesn't hurt she didn't realized. He actually smiles a little, although she can see some sort of nostalgia in his eyes that she has a hard time to explain.

Peggy doesn't know how to feel, let alone how to react. She's not sure she should be proud and happy he waited for her and she was able to be the very first woman he'd know intimately. Or sad he wasn't able to move on, how lonely it must have been and furthermore how much longer he would have waited. She feels guilty for being the person who did that to him.

The soft smile on his lips grows a little wider.

“I'm happy I waited for the right partner. I'm happy it was you. It should have always been you.”

Her heart suddenly breaks a little thinking how many years they wasted during the war. She makes herself a promise in this very moment to never wait for anything when it feels right. She will live in the moment for now on and won't waste any more precious minutes she has left on this Earth. Especially the ones she spends with him. They have a second chance, that’s not something you get to experience normally, not something they should have. She won’t spoil it.

She kisses him again and feels her heart beating so hard and so fast she's sure Steve can feel it too.

They kiss lazily for long minutes before they resume their conversation.

“What about you? Have you found anyone else?” He asks caressing her hair as she settles her head on his chest.

She stays silent. She knows now is the time but she doesn’t feel ready, she didn't really had time to prepare what to say.

“Peggy. It's alright. I understand. I'd rather you tell me you were happy and loved. You deserved it, you deserved more than mourning some idiot that was never brave enough to tell you he loved you.”

“My darling, you're the bravest person I know.”

She drops a light kiss on his lips.

“But yes, I met someone. A few years after the war ended.”

She pauses to watch his reaction. He doesn't say a thing and looks at her attentively.

“It took me some time to realize he had feelings for me. And some more time to let myself try and feel something in return. He was a good man. We— we were engaged when I arrived here.”

Steve sighs deeply. She thinks he might be more upset listening to this than he had anticipated. But she must finish now.

“I _was_ loved. I believe he loved me, dearly. But I wasn't happy. I don't think I would have ever been, with him or with anyone else. I put distance between us. Rather literally for that matter. He lives— he _lived_ in California and I was stationed most of the time in Washington to run S.H.I.E.L.D. operations. I don't think I would have gone through the wedding even if I had stayed there.”

She has to remind herself to speak in the past. Daniel was long gone now. And while she didn’t entirely share his feelings, she cared deeply about him. It was still hurting her somehow to know she had disappeared on him and he will probably never know why.

Steve’s hand starts caressing her cheek.

“I'm so sorry Peg.”

“Why?” She asks, genuinely surprised.

Steve opens his mouth to answer when they hear steps outside of the apartment door, shortly followed by a heavy knock on the door.

“Cap.” Sam calls from outside.

Steve grunts in annoyance. They look at each other and Peggy gives a little nod towards the door.

“Go.”

He reluctantly leaves the bed to gather his clothes.

“Comin’.” He yells at Sam.

Steve retrieves Peggy’s clothes too and throws them at her. She finishes putting back her bra and Steve waits for her to be fully dressed before he opens the door.

Sam is leaning on the doorframe and when he catches sight of Steve’s disheveled hair he smirks widely.

“Sorry to interrupt.” He says knowingly.

Peggy rolls her eyes so hard she thinks she might get stuck with her eyeballs behind her eye sockets. Subtlety has really never been any men’s forte but it was certainly not a trait Sam was displaying for what she’s been witnessing.

“You’re not sorry, we all know this.” Steve answers a little annoyed and a little amused.

“Absolutely not. Anyways the honeymoon is over lovebirds, Wanda believes Vision might be onto us.”

Steve glances back at Peggy who's not exactly sure what this means but she understands just by the worried look Steve is throwing to her that it is serious.

“Then let’s hear what intel she has, shall we?” She says walking past Steve and giving him a peck on the lips.

She looks back at Sam and greets him with a triumphant smile to both men’s surprise.

She intends to keep the promise she just made to herself. She's not wasting any more time and that includes embracing this new world’s leisures. Steve and her being openly seen as a couple outside of marriage was one of freedom she has every intentions to revel in. As well as enjoying bickering with Sam Wilson apparently.

 


	3. I'm what you get

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I obviously don't know how to write action scenes. Sorry.

Down a few flight of stairs, Steve and Sam come to an halt in front of an open apartment door. Peggy follows them quietly once they entered the room.

Natasha is already here perched on the edge of the kitchen counter with a serious frown on her face. Peggy can’t help the unsettling feeling in the pit of her gut. So this is what it’s like to be a fugitive. This is what Steve’s life have been for the past few months. It sounds so wrong to Peggy, him of all the men she’s ever known, being the deserter. This doesn’t seen right at all.

A beautiful young woman is shoving clothes and personal belongings in a bag on the bed. Peggy recognizes Wanda Maximoff immediately.

Steve walks to her.

“Wanda? What is happening?”

Wanda doesn’t stop what she is doing and seems even more frantic ever since Steve walked into the room.

“I don’t know, I don’t— It’s— Vision, he’s been trying to contact me. He’s trying to get in my head, I’ve been having these flashes and these dreams. They are becoming stronger, he’s getting closer. I can’t stay here. He’s onto us. Or he will be very soon.”

Steve gently encircles her wrist with his large hand to stop her from getting more agitated.

“Wanda…” He says softly. “You’re not going anywhere. We’re staying together? Remember?”

Peggy is stricken by the way Steve interacts with the young woman. There’s such tenderness in his voice, she’s not sure she’s ever heard him talk to anyone so affectionately. So fatherly.

Wanda takes a deep breathe and finally glances at Peggy, who’s still leaning in the open doorframe.

“Who’s—?” And she suddenly stops mid-sentence.

Wanda looks up at Steve in surprise and back at Peggy, her eyes almost shiny with tears.

“Yes this is Peggy. She traveled from the past.” Steve explains, stillness in his voice.

Peggy is confused for a few seconds, she doesn’t understand why Wanda seems so shaken to see her here. It’s almost like she recognizes Peggy. And it didn’t seem to be the same surprise as if she had known her from history books or past mission reports. There was something desperate in the way she glanced back at Steve, almost like guilt.

“It’s okay. You know it is, right?” Steve reaches Wanda’s hair and brushes it to calm her.

Wanda glances one more time, somehow calmer and returns to her luggage on the bed, still shaking slightly. She’s not asking more questions, she seems to want to avoid the matter all together.

“Scott also wants to leave.” Natasha says from the other side of the room.

Steve shakes his head.

“Yeah I’m not surprised.”

“Says he wants to see his daughter.” Natasha adds.

Steve nods and he’s deep in thoughts when Wanda speaks again.

“We can’t stay together Steve. It’s too risky, we’re all going to get caught.”

“She has a point.” Peggy finally announces and all heads turn to her.

Steve doesn’t seem surprised by her interruption but it’s clear that he disagrees with her. He shakes his head and sets his hand on his hips.

Peggy walks to Natasha’s side.

Steve has briefly given Peggy an overview of whom his teammates were. She knows Scott Lang is relatively new to the team and he has a child whom he hasn’t seen ever since Steve broke them out of the floating prison.

“Is taking Scott to his daughter safe?” Peggy asks the redhead.

“Right now it’s not. But I can work this out.”

“How are you going to do that?” Sam aks.

“Clint. I know where he is. It’s out of reach. I can arrange to have Scott meet his kid there.”

“And you’re not telling us where that is, right?” Sam chuckles.

“Nope.” The words pop out of Natasha’s mouth and she smiles.

The outset of a plan begins to form in everyone’s mind and the mood of the room starts to feel calmer. Steve looks at Wanda and motions to Natasha.

“Nat, you take the chopper and arrange for Scott to see his family. The rest of us will move out to our next location.”

Wanda starts to protest but Steve turns around and lifts one finger up to shush her.

“I’m not letting you leave on your own. You’re my responsibility.”

“I’m no one’s responsibility! “ Wanda cuts him vehemently.

“You are. You all are.” He looks around the room. “It was my decision, going after Bucky and Zemo. It was my doing. You’re in this mess because of me. So yeah you’re my responsibility.”

“We chose to follow you, Cap.” Sam speaks quietly. “We had this discussion a million times. So stop the hero complex bullshit now. You know it’s not working with us.”

Steve’s jaw tighten and Peggy stays quiet next to Natasha. She knows she’s not part of this conversation. Not yet anyway. She will be soon, because she is going with Steve, no matter where he decides to go. And she knows sooner rather than later she'll want to have her say in whatever plan they decide.

“Listen, we’re not letting Wanda go alone. I’m not, you’re not. That’s pretty clear.” Sam continues. “I think it’s a good plan. Let’s split up. Nat and Scott go to Clint and the rest of us hit the road.”

Steve stays quiet for a moment. He looks at Peggy briefly and she gives him a quick affirmative nod. He sighs and turns back to Wanda again.

“You on board with this?”

“Do I have a choice?” She asks with some bitterness in her voice.

“I need you to be on board Wanda. Do you trust us?”

She shakes her head slightly and sighs.

“You know I do.”

“Alright. Let’s pack and head out.” Steve takes his phone from his pocket. “Eleven hundred, downstairs in the lobby.”

\----

The train is going at a steady pace, just fast enough that Peggy can’t really make out the landscape outside the window.

Sam, Wanda, Steve and herself drove south to Toledo and took the train later that day. She’s not exactly sure yet where they are going. Steve mentioned they still have allies and safe houses where they can rest. This has been their everyday life so far, hopping from a temporary location to another. He mentioned that taking the train was more discreet than airlines or driving. Apparently highways are heavily populated with cameras now.

Both of them are sitting next to each other, while Sam and Wanda are on the next car to the back. They have unfortunately been in a lot of news reports over the past years and no matter if Sam and Steve usually wore helmets in combat, they were public figures and their faces were known. Same as Wanda. It was better to be divided in the train, the three of them together would have been to noticeable.

She turns her head to look at Steve. He’s wearing a baseball cap and typing on this phone with one finger, his leg is shaking nervously.

She sets her hand on his thigh firmly to make him stop.

Steve lifts his head from the phone and turns to Peggy.

“Sorry.”

His eyes immediately soften and a small smile starts forming on his face. Peggy’s eyes drop to look at his lips and she takes a deep breathe to hold herself back from kissing him. Ever since she had a taste of him that very morning, it was hard not to think about his lips and his body against hers.

“I still can’t believe you’re here.” Steve finally says, seemingly thinking about it as well.

She just smiles and her eyes find the phone in his hand to find distraction.

“You know, a really computer savvy agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. said to me once that you might as well have a giant red target on your back with one of these devices in hand. They are apparently very easy to _hack_.” She insists on the last word, something Daisy said and while she’s not exactly sure what it means she understood if was possible to be found because of it.

Steve chuckles.

“Yeah I didn’t really trusted technology when I woke up either. Still don’t. Hard to grasp that everything is pretty much immaterial these days.”

“Better safe than sorry.” She arches her brow.

“Don’t worry Nat set those up. She’s the second best spy I know.” He gives her a cute smile. “She insured our phones were locked or something, and so far it hasn’t failed us.”

Peggy doesn’t say anything in return. What could she say? She might have try to use a computers and other devices over the past few weeks, it was still a complete foreign concept for her. Even if some were actually not that hard to understand and proven quite useful.

Steve leans in slowly and presses his lips on hers for a long moment before he pulls away and tucks a lock of her hair behind Peggy’s ear.

“We’ll get you one.”

She snorts.

“You just want to see me get all worked up because I won’t be able to make the bloody thing work.”

He leans again close to her mouth and barely brushes it before whispering in a husky voice.

“I’d quite prefer to see you worked up for a completely different reason.”

Peggy can feel the blush on her cheek rising and she has to clench her thighs together to contain the arousal building up inside her.

“Steven Rogers, this century has twisted the gentlemen you once were.” She whispers back before kissing him, her lips immediately parting to let her tongue play with his. She takes his bottom lip between her teeth and runs her nails on his scalp lightly pulling at his hair until a guttural moan finally comes from Steve’s throat.

“Not that I’m complaining.” She concludes satisfied of her effect and settles back in her seat rather dramatically.

Steve chuckles as he stays leaned forward above the armchair between their seats. He sits back and she catches sight of him wiggling his hips in discomfort.

“Now who’s all worked up?” She smiles at him before dropping her eyes on his crotch. She’s quite pleased with herself for turning back the situation to her advantage.

His eyes are piercing through her and she’s about to ask him to join her in the restroom when something shakes the train. It immediately takes them out of their flirtation.

The rest of the passengers barely noticed it, there were some murmurs during the collision but everyone is now back to their previous occupation.

“What do you think that was?” Peggy asks concerned.

Still in his hand, Steve’s phone starts buzzing. He answers in a split second.

Peggy can faintly hear Sam on the other side of the line but she’s not sure if he’s voice is normal or else.

Steve hangs up and gives her a seriously look.

“Vision’s here. He landed on Sam’s and Wanda’s train car.”

“Oh bugger.” Peggy swears between gritted teeth.

“Okay” He starts. “We have to head to the back to get Sam and Wanda out of there.”

“We should stop the train. It’ll create a panic and we can escape. Surely they won’t harm civilians? I know you’re not exactly in good terms but they are still on the right side of the law right?”

“That’s not a bad idea. I just— There’s been incidents in the past when crowds and movement of panic were involved, I don’t want this to happen again.”

“Alright” She nods reading in his eyes he is really not comfortable with her suggestion. “Then let me handle this here. I’ll tell people to head to the driver’s cabin, we need to evacuate as many passengers as possible. It’ll create a distraction and I’ll meet with you right after.”

“Take it. I’ll contact you when we’re out.” He hands her the phone and she immediately shoves it in her jacket. God only knows if she’ll be able to use it but if Steve manages now, no reason she can’t.

Peggy can see he’s reluctant to go their separate ways. She gets her gun from the hem of her jeans where it was tucked and pushes him out of his seat in the aisle.

“Come on, Captain. Let’s get going.”

He nods and slams the button to open the door between the compartments. Peggy watches him disappear behind the closing doors and she breaks the emergency glass with her elbow to pull the alarm signal.

The train comes to a sudden stop and she has to grip the backseat not to fall. The commotion around her has started and people are beginning to rise to ask her questions.

“Ladies and gentlemen, there is an emergency.” All heads turn to her and some passengers starts to shout and ask what’s going on.

She goes with her guts, there’s really no time to find a better way to evacuate people.

“This train is under attack. I’m going to ask you to head to the front of the train and evacuate in an orderly fashion.”

“Who the hell are you?” A tall and strong man walks to her, menacing.

Peggy takes her gun with both hands, points it to the ground but makes it very visible to the man. Her movement seem to have frightened him and he backs down with his hands up.

“I’m an agent with SHIELD.” It’s the first thing that pops into her mind. Force of habits probably. “I’m not the threat, I’m here to help. Now, _move_.”

Passengers start to walk through the doors separating the train cars and Peggy follows them after making sure everyone has left the car.

She repeats the same speech in the second car. With all the previous passengers already heading to the driver’s compartment it seems easier to convince people to follow. She’s about to walk into the last car when something, or maybe someone, she’s not sure, literally goes through the train’s roof and stops mid-air in front of her.

People scream behind her and she just has time to check the doors are actually closed and everyone’s out of there when a blast throws her off her feet.

She’s on the ground, confused, her head pounding and ears ringing but she seems to be unarmed and still holding her gun, thank God.

“Who are you?” She hears a soft voice say while trying to rise from the confusion.

She points her gun at the person in front of her. He’s red. He’s _literally red_. And flying. And he has a _cape_.

“Bloody hell!” She lets out.

This must be Vision. It didn’t matter that Steve had described him to her, it’s still a shock to see him in person.

“Peggy Carter.” Vision titles his head to the side studying her curiously. “This shouldn’t be possible. You are dead.”

“Well, surprise.” She answers wryly.

Her ears are still ringing but her hands are more steady now, she has a steady grip on her gun. She starts standing back up when Vision gracefully flows closer to her and sets his foot on the floor.

“Take one more step and I shoot you.” She warns him.

“I believe you would. You were a sharpshooter. But I’m not here for you.”

“Too bad, I’m what you get.”

Vision starts walking towards her and she pressed the trigger two times, perfectly aiming at his chest.

Both bullets fly directly through him onto the metal wall behind. He immediately sets his hand on the bright stone located on his forehead to send another blast aiming to her hand and disarms her. It sends the gun away under the seats and she watches it disappear unable to do anything but shake her injured hand.

Weaponless, Peggy backs down before hitting the door with her back. She slams the opening button and runs back into the other train car. Vision follows her right through the wall once again and he flies at her sending another blast that she ducks by jumping for cover in a seat row.

It was not exactly the right move, now she’s stuck between seat rows.

“Miss Carter, I wish you no arm. But I believe you could be an asset in capturing Captain Rogers. I’d rather you surrender yourself.”

“You’re awfully polite for a robot.” She shouts from the seat where she’s tucked under, trying to reach to her other handgun hidden in her boot.

She knows it’s going to be useless, bullets can’t hurt this damn thing. She’s boiling, completely powerless and she’s more pissed off than she’s been in months.

“Miss Carter.” She hears above her right when she tucks the gun out.

She lifts her head and Vision has his hand raised to touch the stone on his forehead, prepared to send another blast.

“You’re under arrest. Please follow me and don’t make use force.”

“Like hell I’ll follow you.”

She lifts her gun and fires directly at the gem. Vision apparently didn’t see that coming and didn’t have time to decrease his density and avoid the hit.

The impact of the bullet on the gem provocs a blast in all directions, sending Vision back into the opposite wall of the car. Before the blow has time to strike her, Peggy crosses both her hands to protect her face.

The hit never comes. When she opens her eyes she hasn’t moved one inch. She has to squint, suddenly blinded by a yellow glowing shield that appeared in front her, protecting her body. It has stop the gem’s blast. Symbols that she has a strange feeling of knowing glow brighter, forming a mystical-like pattern on the surface.

She feels the overwhelming warmth of the shield radiating from her own body and she uncrosses her arms stepping away from it. It immediately disappears, the heat returns back right through her skin making her gasp loudly. It’s like she had absorbed it and she feels completely drained of her energy.

The car is immersed in silence, seats and pieces of metal have been blown away. All around them, it’s a wreckage. But Peggy doesn’t seem to have a scratch on her.

“What is this?” Vision asks looking almost as shocked as her.

Peggy knows it’s her way out. The surprise has distracted Vision so she jumps on her feet and runs to the car door. When she slams it open three soldiers in full combat armor holding military rifles are standing in front of her. They point their weapons at her and when she turns around to flee Vision is here to block the way.

“I’m sorry Miss Carter. It seems like you are coming with us.”

“Oh come on, you’re not even sorry!” She rolls her eyes and lifts her arms in surrender.

“Drop your weapon.” A man shouts behind her.

She drops her gun on the floor and someone immediately covers her head with a bag.

 


	4. You're home Miss Carter

**5 weeks ago**

_The light from the ceiling is so dim Peggy can barely make out the content of the room around her. And well the constant spinning isn’t helping either. She doesn’t remember if she has been knocked out or hit in the head for some reason. Nor she knows where she is now, where she was before. The smell is different, stuffy. She starts to make out the layer of the room. Little by little she begins to get a grip of her senses._

_The gem. She remembers it now. The bright yellow gem she discovered in the old covent back in London where she led her team to investigate irregular seismic activities. Howard was certain it wasn’t normal. Well he wasn’t wrong._

_She gets up on her feet, her legs still shaky and her stomach tied in a knot because of all the spinning and the fall. When she stretches her length the room seem to swing around her and her insides twist so hard she can’t stop herself and throws up at her feet._

_The wall isn’t far and she’s able to hold to it to keep up. When she finally thinks opening her eyes is safe and walking is a possibility she starts to look around the small room. She’s not exactly holding herself on a wall. It looks like a metallic structure with a pathway in the middle. Like some kind of open door, or portal. She steps away from it quickly, not sure what it could do what it has done. It’s pretty much the only visible object in the room. The rest are boxes and metal trucks. This looks like storage._

_She notices the tarp at her feet. It looks big enough to have been covering the portal. She sucks in her uneasy feeling and steps closer. After scanning her surroundings in the dark, she finally sees a door. Above it is a red light, beeping. This oddly looks like some sort of alarm._

_Stepping closer she can hear the commotion on the other side of the closed door. People shouting, alarms blaring and she cringes at the idea her sudden appearance might have caused it._

_She looks around again and spots a metal box with a heavy handle. She kicks it a couple of time with her feet to break it._

_Her makeshift weapon in hand she waits, facing the door. She distinctly hears a group of people outside, heavy boots stomping the ground and weapons clicking to get ready to fire. Her breathing is uneven and she still feels queasy. But she straightens her back, ready to retaliate if needs be._

_On the other side of the door, it suddenly becomes quieter and she knows it’s the signal they will soon blast that bloody door open. Only a few seconds later it happens and the bright light makes her blink hard for a moment before she can make out the silhouettes of at least 5 men in the back light._

_It’s silent for a second and it gives her enough to get used to the sudden light._

_“Who are you?” She hears one of the men say._

_Peggy doesn’t answer and grips the metal handle harder._

_“Peggy... Carter?” He seems to hesitate._

_Peggy’s surprised. The man’s accent is american and he's wearing a black suit, similar to the others agents around him. On the side of their arms she notices a very familiar logo that holds some differences to the one Howard designed._

_The agents hold their weapon higher, all aiming at her. Peggy glances behind but there are no other escape routes. She knows she needs to speak._

_“Yes”._

_“This is impossible.” The same man says uncertain, it must be their leader._

_He looks like he's seen a ghost._

_“Well I can assure you I know who I am. You still failed to announce yourself.” She reciprocate, clearly not hiding her annoyance._

_“Oh my god you sound so British!”_

_She’s taken aback by his casual tone. He almost sounded amused and that’s enough to piss off Peggy even more._

_“And you sound quite rude.”_

_The leading agent chuckles. For some reason he doesn't seem to be threatened. He looks more curious than suspicious. To test his limits she takes a couple of steps to see the immediate response from the agents including their leading officer. All guns raise up making her drop her makeshift weapon on the floor in response._

_“Where am I?” She asks slowly, lifting her hands up._

_She knows disclosing she has no idea where she is now isn't the best tactic. It shows vulnerability. It gives them the upper hand. Except that at this point, she has no other way out. She has to get out of that room, once outside she might be able to escape._

_“You're home Miss Carter. S.H.I.E.L.D.” The agent nods._

_“I don't understand. Where? I don't know this facility. I was in London for christ’s sakes. How can I be back in the states in a split second? Was it that thing?” She points at the metal structure behind her with her thumb._

_“You went through the Inter-Dimensional gate?” He seems genuinely surprised._

_“Inter-Dimensional what? Did Howard build this?”_

_“Howard? You mean Howard Stark?”_

_The look on his face tells Peggy the man came to a realization. And he seems so taken aback by it that she stops answering him._

_“Ms Carter I think... I think you should come with us. We can give you more explanations and be more comfortable than here.”_

_He lifts his watch to his mouth and speaks directly into like it's some sort of miniature radio._

_“Mac, we have an unexpected guest. Prep office five and call the director and Fitzsimmons.”_  
  
_She can't hear the answer although the agent seems to listen to something._  
  
_“Miss Carter if you’ll follow me.”_

_“You still haven't tell me who you are.”_

_“My name is Coulson. Agent Phil Coulson. Shall we go now?”_

_She follows him outside giving a last look to the gate behind her. She has a weird feeling she’s not coming back from this mission._

_\---_

_The facility seem to be located underground. No windows. Not a lot of fresh air. Somehow it looks familiar but she can’t figure out how._

_They walk for about five minutes, Peggy is still escorted by the four other agents and Coulson, before stopping in front of a strong steel door. Agent Coulson immediately taps his fingers on a small blue screen on the wall. She's seen a few of them along the way. As well as other screens, bigger, smaller. A lot of technology. Certainly more than she is used to._

_They intentionally didn't walk through any strategic areas, she knows it. It was mostly corridors and locked doors. They didn't really crossed path with other agents. The way was either cleared or it was some sort of holding facility. Her guts start to twist in a warning she hasn't felt in a long time. This is the unknown._

_She reluctantly steps into a bright white room immediately assessing her surroundings. A large bed, a table, a giant screen in front of the bed, a glass wall with a smaller cell on the other side. The room is ethereal, cold and clinical. She has never seen anything like it before. The surface, everything is so bright and glossy, it's almost blinding. There is only two doors, the one they entered in and another that was certainly leading into a water closet of some sort. One way in, one way out. This was not an office, it was a cell. A nice one certainly but a cell nonetheless._

_“So, who's the director if it’s not me?”_

_The door closes behind Coulson and he's the only one in the room with her now. He doesn't look much but he has a sharp eye and Peggy knows better to undermine someone from their looks. It seems like she could take him but she's not going to risk it._

_Coulson chucks in response._

_“Good catch. I hadn't thought about this bit. Ms Carter, I apologize for putting you in here. And I'm not going to lie to you saying it’s only for your safety. Right now I have no idea if you're even the real Director Carter.”_

_“What do you mean by that? I can certainly prove my identity, especially if this is indeed a S.H.I.E.L.D. base which I'm not so sure of myself.”_

_“Mam, I can assure you are at S.H.I.E.L.D. Only in 2016.”_

_Peggy opens her mouth and closes it immediately. Of every resolutions she has expected to hear, time travel was definitively not one of them. But she has seen so much in her lifetime as a spy and later agent of the SSR and S.H.I.E.L.D., she is considering this as the truth. Not a lie, not tactics, the look on Coulson’s face is genuine and even seems apologetic._

_“But how...?”_

_“Honestly I have no idea.” He shakes his head with a small smirk. “My guess is that it has something to do with the gate you saw in the room. It shouldn’t be active and we weren’t aware it allowed time travel. Only inter-dimensional ones. But there’s still a great amount about it we don’t know.”_  
  
_“So Howard...?” She asks, her voice lower than she intended._

_“He died in 1991 in a car accident.”_

_“Oh my God.”_

_She presses her hand to her mouth and sits on the bed behind her._

\---

**Present day**

They lift the bag from her head and remove the blindfold they put later on as well as the massive metal hand and foot cuffs. Peggy has a feeling that the heavy containment material was not meant for her originally.

She looks around and realizes she’s in a holding cell. She just sighed, honestly it was starting to get redundant.

It was far less comfortable than the S.H.I.E.L.D. one she was held on when she arrived in this timeline. Four walls, one of them made of thick glass, a bench with a thin mattress on it —she slept on far thinner ones during the war— and a toilet and water faucet in a corner. Cosy.

The agent that delivered her here is already out of the cell locking the glass door by typing on a blue screen. She hears the lock and clenches her jaw. She hates herself for allowing to be captured. They took her jacket, with Steve’s phone in it and she knows by now they probably are already locating all of them.

If she’s honest with herself she’s trying to concentrate on this matter rather than thinking about the glowing shield that appeared out of thin air only a couple of hours ago. She shakes her head and walks to the glass wall to inspect her surroundings.

There are cameras hidden in the ceiling of the cell and outside of it. She’s now learned to recognize those small dots peeking out. A few other agents are standing in the corridor where she notices similar cells on either side of the hallway. Other than that nothing is really noticeable and could give her any indication where she is.

The silence and otherwise dullness of her environnement aren’t exactly helping her to keep her mind from running wild about the strange events that happened in the train.

After a few minutes only she hears the whoosh of the main corridor door sliding open and a decided stomp of shoes on the floor. She backs down from the glass wall to stand in the middle of the room, arms crossed on her chest.

An handsome middle aged man stops right in front of her cell. His eyes are wide when he sees her. She’s a little unsettled by the way he’s looking at her but she recognizes him immediately. The numerous press articles and photoshoots she’s studied over the past weeks obviously helped to identify him but something she wasn’t ready to witness is the uncanny resemblance in demeanor to his father.

The tension is clear in his features and he doesn’t speak for a few minutes until Peggy breaks the silence.

“Hello Tony.”

“Aunt Peg.” He greets her and she steps back when he uses this particular nickname.

Tony seems to relax a little now that he has the upper hand on the surprise effect.

“My my, I thought Vision’s circuits might have fried when he told me it was you.”

He starts pacing in front of the cell, holding up a transparent screen slightly bigger than a portable phone. He jerks it a little in her direction and studies what appears on the screen. 

“So you died roughly 8 months ago. And you’re here, all young and pretty. How do you explain that?”

“I don’t. I’ve been told I travelled through time and dimensions. You’re the genius, figure it out.” She answers wryly.

“Oh trust me, I will.” He nods with an irritating smug on his face.

Peggy has to roll her eyes and again she’s stricken by how this answer was so much like Howard. She can’t stop herself to think about her lost friend with his son standing there a few feet from her. She’s utterly annoyed at how emotional that makes her feel right now. She’s still in an hostile situation and she doesn’t want to show too much. But she can’t help the words that come out of her mouth.

“I’m very sorry about your father, Tony.”

Tony’s jaw tightens and he looks away from her.

“What year did you jump from?” He asks still watching the screen and avoiding her eyes.

“1949.”

“So he was still alive.” This time he looks directly at Peggy.

“Yes.” She walks closer to the cell’s glass.

“Did someone tell you what happened?”

“An automobile accident.”

He chuckles bitterly and the StarkPad in his hand starts buzzing and blinking red. He lifts it to his eyes.

“Well looks like your war buddy has decided to show up uninvited.”

He turns the screen to her and she sees Steve standing in front of a building door, hands held up in surrender when a dozen agents in full combat gear open and charge him. Peggy gasps and Tony flips the tablet to turn it off.

“We’ll have to continue this conversation later if you don’t mind.”

Peggy mutters curses under her breath. Steve is a bloody idiot. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If some of you don’t watch AoS, here’s what the portal looks like:  
> http://tinyurl.com/jmm5cw7  
> http://tinyurl.com/hubo39p
> 
> I won’t be writing that much flashbacks but this one paralleled nicely with Peggy’s current situation. And it’ll give you some context on what’s to come.
> 
> Hope you liked this chapter! Let me know what you think! As most writers here I’m fueled from kudos and comments especially <3


	5. You can control it

Peggy has been pacing in circle in her cell for the past hour. At some point it wouldn’t surprise her if it’ll make a ring-hole in the floor. She tried to hail the guards earlier without any success, they were completely ignoring her. She can't stand being held in the dark when Steve is somewhere in the vicinity after surrendering himself.

Honestly she can’t fucking wait to tell him how stupid he had been. Why, why show up here for Christ’s sake? She can handle herself just fine. And his teammates are still out there, _they_ need protection. Not her. It's pretty clear Tony has no intentions to hurt her. He would have probably end up trying to interrogate her on Steve’s and the others location. _Trying_ being the key word here. Because she would never sold out Steve.

Peggy is sitting on the bed, her head hanging between her knees. She didn’t know she could be so worried and bored out of her mind at the same time. The light coming from the only window at the end of the hallway is indicating her that the sun was setting and she almost gives up on seeing Steve or even Tony again today. Until the main door slides open.

Peggy jumps on her feet and is standing by the glass wall of her cell in a split second.

Tony walks in her eyeline first, followed by Steve and a couple more agents, armed to the teeth. Steve isn’t held by any restrains, he follows Tony freely but Peggy knows better than thinking he is actually free. Surrendering on his own might have helped but he is still heavily guarded.

“What on Earth are you doing here?” She immediately yells at Steve.

“Wooh!” Tony steps back while Steve opens his eyes wide with surprise.

“What?” Steve asks.

“For Christ’s sakes Steve, why did you show up here? I can handle this!” She tells him completely ignoring Tony.

Behind them, the agents seem amused.

“Hello?” Tony looks back at Steve and Peggy. “Uh what the hell, who’s in charge here?”

“Steven Rogers, you are an idiot.” She concludes and starts pacing in her cell again.

Steve sights and lifts his head to the ceiling, placing his hands on his hips.

“Okay mom, dad, you’re done fighting?” Tony pauses, glances at Peggy then at Steve, both quiet now. “Good. Because I have an interrogation to do.”

“Tony, you know I can’t tell you anything.” Steve says calmly.

“Can’t or won’t?”

Steve stays silent.

“Then why are you here?” Tony asks.

Steve can’t contain himself and takes a quick look at Peggy.

“I needed to know she was ok.”

Peggy rolls her eyes and turns her back at him. She wants to scream and break that glass in a million pieces. Although to be honest if Steve was in her position she is right now, she knows damn well she would have probably done the same thing. But she’ll never admit that out loud.

“What makes you think she wouldn’t be?” Tony asked shaking his head.

“Oh I don’t know Tony, maybe because you tried to kill me a few months ago?” Steve shots back wryly.

She can see in Steve’s eyes and the way he squares his shoulders that anger is starting to build up in him. Tony’s body language is just as tense and Peggy steps as close as she can, touching the glass with her hands. This is not going to end well.

“I didn’t tried to kill you.” Tony snorts. “I did want to hurt you though. But I wanted to kill _him_.” He says with absolute hatred in his voice.

“You gotta let go Tony.” Steve lowers his head but his jaw is so tense, Peggy knows he’s ready to fly off the handle.

“I’ll find him. Just watch me.” Tony defies him.

Peggy has no idea of whom they are talking about. She’s in the dark and she hates it.

“Let’s put him here.” Tony orders the agents, jerking his chin towards the cell facing the one Peggy is held in.

“And we’ll see.” He continues. “We’ll see what it takes for you to tell me where is Barnes.”

“Barnes?” Peggy asks surprise.

Tony turns around in a graceful volte-face. The grin on his face tells her he has calculated his words exactly to get her reaction. She is growing more confused every seconds by this conversation.

The agents open the opposite cell but Tony stops them before they could escort Steve in it.

“Oh yes that’s right. Aunt Peg doesn’t know apparently.” He is brandishing a wide smile that does not predict anything good.

Steve’s head is down and he is avoiding both Tony’s and Peggy’s looks.

“What does that mean?” Peggy asks.

“It wasn’t a car accident. Barnes killed my parents.”

Tony stops talking after his statement to observe her. Peggy is unable to react. She’s trying to understand if he is saying the truth. But the pain and the animosity she reads in his eyes are telling her it could be. It all starts to come together too. It wasn’t just the Sokovian Accords that generated such animosity between Tony and Steve. It has always been something beyond that.

“Is that true?” Peggy tries to connect with Steve's eyes.

He still has his head down, his fists clench hard at his side, knuckles white with strain.

“Oh yeah. He murdered them, in cold blood. And you know for what? To steal the last vials of Erskine’s serum my dad had recreated. I saw it all. It’s on tape. Can you imagine what it feels to see your father and your mother die, on tape? I can show you if you want, I still have the footage.”

“Shut up Tony.” Steve says between gritted teeth.

Tony ignores him and keeps talking to Peggy.

“Howard. Your _friend_ brutally killed by someone you fought a war with hand in hand if I'm not mistaken. Your friend. His friend.” He points at Steve.

“Tony.” Steve warns him again.

Peggy is standing still unable to process the information. She has read about Bucky’s years under HYDRA’s influence. She knows what he was capable of. She has listen to Steve talking about his friend at lengths. About what he did. About what he suffered. But Steve never mentioned Howard. He hid this from her.

Pain is building so tightly in her chest, she wants to run away. Pain for Howard, pain for Bucky. She can’t stop herself picturing Howard in his last moments, seeing the face of his killer. Did he recognize him? Did he know at the time what Bucky had become? That he was still alive?

She could only imagine her own devastation if she had been there, in Howard’s place.

“And you know the funny part of this dramatic story? Steve had known, for what?” He turns around to face Steve. “Two years? And he never told me. Just like he didn’t tell you apparently. How fucked up is that huh?”

Just when Tony finishes his sentence Steve’s fist lands on his jaw before the agents behind him can do anything to stop him.

Peggy hits the glass with her hand screaming “Steve, no!”

At the same time the two agents try to restrain Steve locking his arms behind his back.

Tony is trying to regain a hold on himself after literally crashing on Peggy’s cell door.

Steve is quick to get free from his captors and beats down easily the two other guards that join to try and contain him.

Steve throws himself at Tony and lifts him by the collar, sliding him up on the glass.

Peggy is frantic on the other side, shouting at Steve to let go. She knows that no matter his strength he has next to zero chances to go out of this alive, not in this facility filled with agents working for Tony.

And right now she's also so mad at him, she can't stand the idea of seeing him hurt Tony, even if Tony probably just acted as the biggest jerk human history has ever recorded.

“Do it.” Tony whispers to Steve, his teeth covered in blood, a purple mark on his lower lip already appearing.

Peggy yells at Steve to stop one more time and slams the thick glass with her fist instantly creating an intense yellow light which echos around her hand. The glow spreads on the glass like a web until it’s surrounding the area where Steve and Tony are leaning on.

Peggy tries to warn them but before she can say anything the glass wall vibrates so strongly it launches both men in the opposite direction.

She gasps and drops on the floor completely drained of her energy.

And then it's all gone. The glimmer, the shield force it created, everything has disappeared. There's only silence in the room and the clinical light from the lamps hanging from the ceiling.

One of the agents who got up after being beaten up by Steve is pointing his rifle in Peggy’s direction while some others are checking on Tony and Steve.

Steve is the first one to regain his bearings and immediately stands up when he sees Peggy curled in a ball on the floor of her cell.

“Peggy!”

He takes a tentative step towards her but he's immediately stopped by of two agents pointing their weapons at his head.

“What the hell was this?” Tony growls on the floor behind Steve.

Peggy finally moans and uncurls. She sits up holding her head in her hands.

“Peggy are you okay?” Steve worries, both hands held up in front of the gunmen.

“I think yes- I’m okay. Yeah.” She mumbles, the pain in her hand gradually fading away.

Tony is limping behind Steve, wiping his lip and pushing aside the agent who wants to help him walk.

“What the fuck is happening here?” He looks both at Steve and Peggy.

Peggy lifts her head to looks in his eyes.

“I thought you were supposed to figure it out? Genius.”

Tony lifts his brow and glances a look at Steve.

“She’s always that annoying?”

Steve doesn't even look at Tony and just has eyes for Peggy in front of him, a worried frown knitting on his forehead.

…

The sun has finally set and a pitch black night is visible out of the small window at the end of the hallway.

Peggy and Steve are both sitting on the beds in their respective cells opposite to each other. Steve lifts his head to look at Peggy, worry readable on his features.

“You okay?” He asks, his voice muffled by the two walls and hall separating them.

She doesn’t say anything.

“Peg?” He begs her.

“I don’t want to talk right now.” She answers still watching the floor.

Steve stops talking for a few minutes before speaking again.

“I’m sorry.”

She’s still giving him the silent treatment but it’s apparently not going to prevent him to continue.

“I know you would have wanted me to tell you. About Bucky.” He adds after a pause.

“That would have been nice, yes.” She says bitterly.

“I just got you back. It’s not been 48 hours yet. I— I didn’t know how to tell you. It’s so messed up. I needed time to prepare myself. Peggy you gotta understand.” He is pleading now and Peggy lifts her head.

She hates to admit it because she has every right to be mad at Steve, but right now she can’t stand the pain in his voice.

“I didn’t want you to hate Bucky, as Tony hates him. You guys are the people I love the most in this world. I got a second chance at having you both back in life. I couldn’t stand the idea of you hating him. And I know what Howard meant to you. I know he was your friend. But—.” He drops his head again. “It’s Bucky, Peg. I just couldn’t tell Tony. I knew what he would want to do to him. I hated it, you know. Lying to Tony. He was my friend. But Bucky’s my brother. I wanted to save him, I needed to try anything I could. I’ve already failed him once, I couldn’t do that again. I’m not proud of what I did to Tony, what I put him through in the end.”

Peggy feels like this apology is not only meant for her. And she hopes Tony is listening to their conversation right now because the truth in voice is damn revealing.

“Was it worth it?” Peggy finally asks.

Steve’s eyes soften, he’s relieved she has finally taken part of the conversation.

“Bucky’s alive. Tony’s alive. No matter how broken we all are now, we can make it through.”

“Then you better work for it. Because even if I just met Tony but I’m fairly certain he is not ready to forgive you.”

“Are _you_ ready to forgive me?”

Steve lowers his head slightly and lifts his eyes to look at her. She sighs and stands up to walk to the wall glass. Steve immediately mimics her.

“I am terribly mad at you Steve. But I also understand the reasons that pushed you not to tell me. If I’m honest with myself I would probably have done the same thing.”

She puts her hand up and wants to touch the glass but stops mid-air. She’s suddenly reminded of what happened just there only a few minutes ago.

“Peggy?” Steve asks, worried.

She immediately curls her fingers into fists and hides her hands behind her back.

“This is the second time this happens to me.” Her voice is small.

“Why didn’t you mention it?”

“I’m mentioning it now. It happened in the train earlier today, when I was fighting Vision.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“No. I just know I was truly pissed both times, and scared.” She admits. “And— and it just happened. I can’t control it.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Not really. I’m not sure. There’s this heat radiating from my palms and it’s like time slows around me and I can see all the fibers of that— that—” She’s searching her words. “Shield. I can feel every pieces of it build up and become whole.”

She watches her palms and is trying to visualise the glimmer again, but nothing happens.

“It all happened so fast. It’s gone in seconds and I just feel very tired for a few minutes, completely out of energy. Then everything goes back to normal and I am myself again.”

“You can control it.” A foreign voice resonates in the corridor.

Peggy lifts her head in surprise and sees a tall man she doesn’t know walking towards her cell. All the guards behind him are on the floor, asleep— she hopes.

Steve has both fists on the wall glass.

“Who the hell are you?” He raises his voice.

The man turns around slightly, looks at Steve and nods before returning his eyes on Peggy.

“My name is Doctor Stephen Strange. I believe I can shine some light on what is happening to you.”


	6. The whole shebang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I feel like I must warn you, the plot of this story is getting out of control. I don't know what happened lol. I also probably took a LOT of liberties with Strange's powers and invented a bunch of stuff to suit the needs of the plot. Bare with me! I hope you'll still like it despite the slight canon adjustments <3 Please comment if you feel like it <3

Peggy steps back as the man —who’s wearing a damn  _ cape,  _ again— walks decidedly towards her cell door. He waves his hand in front of him and it creates a glowing spiderweb-like pattern on the door in which he walks through. The pattern is so similar to what Peggy has been experiencing she freezes and stares at this Dr Strange. 

Steve on the other side of the corridor is frantic and yelling up to the ceiling, calling out Tony in hopes he will show up in there and stop the man who’s now in Peggy’s cell, only steps away from her.

“No need to bother Mr Rogers. All cameras and microphones are useless. They won’t know I’m here, I created a time loop.”

He walks closer to her and she steps back again holding up both her hands in a fighting stance, palms directed at Strange. She feels absolutely ridiculous but she might as well try it.

Strange chuckles.

“I see you’re eager to do it again. That’ll be useful.”

“Useful for what?” 

“To same the world Miss Carter. You’ll have a key role in that.”

And without any warning she sees Strange float out of his own body and slam her in the chest. Before she has time to scream in surprise she feels herself suddenly incredibly light and it’s like she’s lost control over her muscles. When she looks down, she sees  _ herself _ , her own body still standing on the ground. She’s terrified and at the same time this state feel completely natural and she’s aware of everything around her. The walls, the size of the facility, the stretch of the sky outside, the bloody stars. It all is part of one and all. She looks to the side and Steve is standing still, seemingly trying to launch himself at the glass wall but suspended in the middle of his motion.

“Sorry I just needed some calm and quiet to talk. Your boyfriend over there is very protective. And loud. Although how could we expect anything else from Captain America? Honor, freedom, the whole package, right?” He waves his hand in disdain and if Peggy wasn’t floating out of her own damn body she would have try to defend Steve but right now her mind was too far occupied.

Strange has a satisfied smile on his face.

He doesn’t make any sense but Peggy doesn’t feel threatened by him.

“What did you do to me?”

“This is your astral form. I’m just showing you what you are capable of. You went through an interdimensional portal, and I actually still need to find who built it. This is not a knowledge that should be hold by anyone.” She shakes his head. “Somehow this altered your mystical form and gave you have abilities I spent years studying to acquired.”

“Studying?”

“Yes Miss Carter. And I can teach you. Or my friend can teach you. I’m a terribly impatient man, I would make an awful teacher.”

She looks around her again and down at Steve. She can’t help it to be worried when she sees him in that state.

“Don’t worry, he’s unaware of what is happening here. Only you and I are. But I see you are distracted. Let’s find a better place to talk.”

She feels another blast in her chest and is taken outside in a millisecond. She sees stars and lights and everything moving in such fast motions around her but she doesn’t feel light-headed or disoriented. She can see every places and countries they travel through while everything seem to be mixing up together.

They both land on a green hill, under the sun, hectares of rice fields lying at her feet. It’s so calm and beautiful, she can’t believe her eyes.

“We’re in China.” She states.

“You’re good. Already in advance from the program.”

“What program?”

“There’s a place, not so far from here in Tibet called Kamar-Taj where people like me train for years to acquire a knowledge greater you can imagine. What you are capable of now is only the smallest portion of what you could accomplish.”

“You said we need to save the world? From what?” She frowns.

“There are gems. Six of them. We call them Infinity stones. They each hold immense power and are scattered across the universe. You’ve already fought to protect one without knowing. You called it the tesseract, it held the Space Stone. It’s safe for now. But it’s not the case for all six of them. They mustn’t be discovered and assembled. Each of the stones possesses unique capabilities that can destroy an entire civilization. Put together, they could destroy the universe.” Strange explains grimly.

Peggy’s eyes widen.

“The green gem. The one that I found in London, in 1949. Was it one of them?”

“The Eye of Agamotto, yes. The Time Stone. I believe it’s what sent you here and gave you your powers.”

“Where is it now?”

“In Kamar-Taj, I’m its guardian. It’s safe.”

She watches back at the beauty of the landscape in front of her.

“I can’t go to Kamar-Taj.” She says pensively.

“Peggy, I don’t think you understand the magnitude of your power and what it means for the universe.”

Peggy can’t speak anymore. She has so many questions she wants to ask but this is all becoming too much. Having a power is one thing. Holding the fate of the universe in her hands, this is whole other level.

“The Avengers protect the world from physical threats. We take care of the mystical ones. And trust me there’s a great deal of magical beings who want to destroy it.”

“Magic?” She repeats frowning.

“Yes, actual magic. Trust me I couldn’t believe it myself at first. I probably made that face too.” He points at her and she blinks trying to look less astonished. “But the world holds greater mysteries than us humans can fathom.”

If she was in her physical body right now, Peggy would probably feel dizzy and sick to her stomach. 

“Take me back.” She whispers and he nods.

Seconds later she feels herself hit back her body and regain control over her physical form. Her blood is pulsating in every veins and she never felt more alive.

A loud thump resonates in the facility and Peggy looks at Steve who just launched himself at the wall glass. It wasn’t an entirely successful attempt, the wall is still up even if a crack has appeared on the full length of the glass.

“Steve! Stop!” She tells him when she realizes he is attempting to throw himself at it again.

He immediately freezes to look at her.

“It’s ok.” She holds her hand up. “I’m back, I’m alright.”

Steve looks at her puzzled and she remembers only seconds went by while Strange and her were talking. In  _ China _ . 

She doesn’t have time to explain before the main corridor door opens and they hear multiple voices, including Tony’s, coming their way. Strange opens another portal and walks through Peggy’s cell door.

Thor, Tony and Bruce Banner walk in, apparently lost in an argument.

“I can’t believed you locked them up.” Bruce says looking at Steve who displays a tiny smile seeing his friend. “Hey.”

“Well don’t get jealous, you might end up in there too.” Tony says sarcastically crossing his arms.

Thor and Bruce both look at him, surprised.

“You didn’t sign the Accords pal. I haven’t notified the UN but it won’t take long for them to know you are both back.”

“And you’re going to rat us out?” Bruce asks him bluntly.

Tony remains silent glaring at Bruce until he notices Strange standing by Thor.

“Damn it Strange.” He jumps, startled. “Where the hell do you come from? You were supposed to wait in my office!”

“Do not worry Tony. You’ll get used to it.” Thor laughs a little. “Now let Steve and Lady Carter out of their cells. We have matters to talk about.”

_ Lady Carter. _ Well, that’s new.

Tony shakes his head. “You know I can’t allow that.”

“Steve might not be strong enough to break this glass, but you know I am.” Thor states.

“Woo! That hurts.” Steve interjects.

…

The group walk through so many corridors and elevators and stairs that Peggy wouldn’t be able to go back to the holding center if she wanted. Not that she was keen on going back in there any time soon.

Her thoughts are running wild in her head. She certainly is curious about learning more about her newly acquired powers but she just can’t imagine leaving for Tibet. Not when she just had Steve back in her life. She feels a little annoyed at herself to think that way. She should want to control it, to understand her purpose, to save the bloody world. But she just can think about anything else than Steve right now. The look on his face when he saw her in that dark room only two days ago. The sensation of his skin on her skin. The way the blue of his eyes become darker when he’s running them on her body. After years mourning him, how could she leave that behind, even temporarily.

Steve’s hand brushes the back of her own when they turn into a new hallway and she immediately laces her fingers with his. He squeezes her hand back and looks down at her. A reassuring smile curls on his lips and she loses herself in his eyes just for a second.

For the next couple of hours they all sit in a large meeting room. And no matter how big the room is Peggy still finds it too small to contain the egos of the men around her. She sits her arms crossed on her chest while they spend most of their time shouting at each other and reminiscing on old quarrels.

Sergeant James Rhodes has joined them and Peggy noticed he was limping when he entered the room. There is no sign of Vision yet and she is glad. She is not ready to confront him after their altercation in the train.

Strange is sitting next to her and after a couple of interjections into the conversation he just started to busy himself with his phone until he finally turns to Peggy.

“Are you set on your decision to not come with me to Kamar-Taj?”

“Yes.” She answers immediately, looking up at Steve who’s standing up and pacing next to the table. He’s in a middle of another arguement with Tony. Thor is trying to reason with them, in a very calm manner to Peggy’s surprise while Bruce is holding his head in both his hands and hasn’t been moving in quite a while. He's probably given up or might be asleep for all she knows. 

The whole conversation has mostly been revolving around the Accords and government regulations. They mentioned Natasha quite a lot too. She still isn’t sure to what extent this was an issue but it seems that her situation is particularly tricky considering she signed the Accords and then disappeared to join Steve. Apparently betraying Tony is also quite the issue which, as she is starting to know the man, won’t be forgiven any time soon.   

She’s pulled out of her thoughts by Strange.

“I’ll send someone here then.” 

“I’m sorry, what?” 

“Wong. He trained me too. He’s a really good teacher, despise the fact he’s  _ just _ called Wong. Can you believe he doesn’t have a last name? Who does that? Beside Sting or Madonna.” 

She blinks at him, confused and annoyed by all his nonsense. “You like to hear yourself talk don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. I have a soothing voice.”

The man is insufferable. She has not idea what she did in another life to deserve being surrounded by men with such overinflated egos.

“Can we talk about the important issue here?” She finally intervenes out loud, leaning forward on the table.

They all stop talking at the same time and everyone turns to look at her, including Bruce who had definitely given up on even trying to listen to them all.

“The Infinity Stones, the end of the universe. The whole shebang.”

“How do you know about that?” Tony asks.

“I told her.” Strange keeps typing on his phone. “Okay, lady, gentlemen, I have to go.” 

He stands up, followed immediately by Peggy.

“You’re going? No! You just told me that the entire universe is going to be destroyed by magical creatures and that I held the bloody power to save it and you’re leaving?”

“What? When?” Steve asks, worried.

The questions around them started bursting out and Peggy has to shush them waving her hand in the air.

“You’re not leaving now! I won’t let you!” She yells at Strange.

“Huh, Peg?” Steve says unsure.

When she turns her head to him he’s pointing at her lifted hand. The now familiar glow of yellow light is growing around it.

“Blimey!” 

She shakes her hand just like it was on fire and she wanted to put it out. It disappears before doing any damage.

There’s silence in the room while everyone’s looking at Peggy and she starts cursing under her breathe.

“You’re going to have to explain what is all this Missy. I don’t tolerate enhanced people here unless we know what their deal is.” Tony walks to her.

“First of all never call me ‘missy’ again or I will blast you out of this building. And second,  _ he _ is supposed to explain it.” 

Peggy points her finger at Strange while he is rummaging through the inside pockets of his jacket.

“Ah!” He says triumphantly, brandishing a small golden object. “I almost forgot. This will help you canalise the energy. Wear it on your left hand, you’ll be able to open portals too. But don’t expect to be able to do it until Wang teaches you. Took me months to master it. You won’t learn that quickly though. I was an advanced student.”

He gives her the ring and she watches it puzzled.

“It’s a sling ring. You put it on your fingers.” He moves his own hand wearing the ring in front of her face.

She quickly slides it on her left hand as instructed and lifts her head back to him, annoyance covering her face.

“You still owe us some explanations, Strange.” Steve says as he walks by Peggy.

“Thor can do that, he’s up to date. Like I say, I have to go.” 

And the man just waves his hand holding the sling ring in a circle to create a portal. Before anyone can say anything he walks in it and it’s all gone in a second.


	7. I don't want you to leave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Less plot, more smut. I mean Steggy :P

It’s close to two in the morning when they finally decide to interrupt the meeting and call it a night.

Peggy is still pumped with adrenaline from the eventful couple of days they have just been through. Being reunited with the long lost love of her life, finding out she has supernatural powers and learning the universe was threatened to be annihilated, is enough to keep her going for a full week, at least.

Tony shows them to the housing quarters of the Avengers facility.

“Sorry Cap, can’t give you back your old room. I’ve turned it into a gym.” He says with sarcasm.

He opens the door to a small room with bunk beds. Steve is about to make a comment but Peggy sees him close his mouth. He certainly doesn’t want to call out Tony on this now that the man has calm down and is willing to let them out of their holding cells.

“That’ll do just fine.” She takes Steve’s hand and pulls him inside, closing the door at Tony’s face.

The room is very stern but has enough amenities to be habitable, including its own private adjacente bathroom. There’s a table with a single chair and a ridiculously small kitchenette area, deprived of any appliances beside a sink and cupboards. Everything is just different shades of grey, the walls, the bedding, even the furniture. It still is a vast improvement from their previous holding cells. At least they’ll be comfortable for the night. Well, except for sleeping in bunk beds obviously.

“He did this on purpose.” Steve’s voice sounds annoyed.

He opens the cabinet on the opposite side of the beds.

“There’re changes of clothes here.”

He pulls a couple of t-shirts out of the closet and unfolds them. There’re large men shirts, probably too big for Peggy and too small for Steve. He holds one out to Peggy and she takes it before throwing it on the bottom bed without really checking them.

“Is there any food? I’m famished.”

She rummages in the cupboards under the sink without any luck and when she turns around she bumps into Steve’s strong chest. He steadies her putting both hands on her shoulders.

“Considering the pout on your face I’m assuming there’s nothing?”

She shakes her head, pursing her lips.

“I can go to commissary to find something to eat.” He offers, soothing his hands up and down her arms.

“Are we even allowed out of this rat-hole?”

Steve chuckles softly. When Peggy lifts up her eyes to watch him, he plants his eyes into hers. They slowly move closer together until their lips brush slightly.

“I don’t want you to leave.”

“I’m here.” He whispers against her mouth and kisses her deeply.

She encircles her arms around his neck and holds him as tight as she can. They kiss softly and deeply for a few minutes until Peggy pulls away.

She wishes she could lose herself into his warmth but her brain won’t stop shutting down. When she opens her eyes he is already watching her with intensity. She doesn’t know how but he seems to read her thoughts and jerks his head slightly towards the beds.

“Top or bottom?”

“You have a filthy mouth Captain Rogers.” She smiles widely.

And he actually laughs. A real happy laugh and it strikes her to realize she hasn’t heard him laugh since their war days with the Howling Commandos. It makes her sad and almost brings tears to her eyes so she detaches herself from him to reach for the t-shirt she left on the bed.

“I’m going to wash up. I’ll be quick.”

Steve nods and watches her walk into the bathroom. She gets rid of the blouse she’s been wearing for the past couple of days and her bra. When she’s freshen up, she puts in the t-shirt. As she anticipated it is way too large and almost covers her mid thighs. She doesn’t bother with her pants and drops them on the floor. When she puts her hand on the handle of the door she feels a little apprehension she hadn’t expected. Steve and her might have started to know each other intimately, it is still quite new. She feels nervous all the sudden but tries to put it away.

“Margaret, now is not the time.” She cheers up herself.

When she gets out of the bathroom, Steve is sitting on the bottom bed. He immediately stands up. He’s wearing a pair of plain unsurprisingly grey sweatpants. They are a little too short for him but still fitting. The t-shirt on another hand is far too tight. Which she can’t really complain about.

He watches her from head to toe and she catches him holding his breath for a few seconds before clearing his throat.

“Well top _bed_ or bottom? You didn’t say.”

“Don’t be absurd. We practically slept in the mud for 2 years. We can share a single bed.” She waves him off.

“Are you sure? I’m— well I’m large.” He fumbles with his words, becoming aware of the double meaning as soon as the words escaped his mouth. And she sees again a glimpse of this beautiful insecure man he was before the serum.

“I know you are.” She gives him a sly smile and takes his hand to pull toward the bed. “But I didn’t travel through time so we can sleep in separate beds. I will sleep on top of you if I have to.”

Steve smirks, shaking his head.

“Not gonna say no to that.”

He pulls out the covers and scoots next to the wall as much as he can, leaving a tight space for Peggy to lie next to him. When she’s almost settled, her back against his chest, he covers them up.

The bed is indeed almost too small to contain Steve alone, that’s not counting on Peggy’s presence by his side. He wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her closer to him. She can feel his muscles through the thin layer of their clothes and closes her eyes to take her mind out of her worries and concentrate on the sensation of his body against hers.

Steve’s other arm is tucked under his head, as a pillow and he stars moving his thumb in a soothing motion on top of the fabric covering her stomach.

“How do you feel?” He asks her.

“What do you mean?” He answers back, her voice barely above a whisper, already losing herself in the bliss of his arms.

“Well you had a lot to process today. Meeting Tony Stark for one.”

She sighs deeply.

“He looks so much like Howard and yet they are so different.”

“Yeah. It was a shock for me too the first time I met him.”

“He’s arrogant.”

She feels Steve nod behind her.

“But it’s because he’s hurting.” She says.

Steve stays silent and she continues.

“You have to talk to him. You two have to figure things out. If what Strange and Thor said is true, we will need you to fight side by side. Not against each other.”

“I know.”

“And you owe it to Howard.” She tries to prevent her voice from breaking. The pain of learning about the circumstances of Howard’s death is still fresh and difficult for her to process.

“Yeah. I know.”

There’s a short silence between them.

“Steve?”

“Yes?”

“I’m not ready for this.” She says, anxious.

“Peg, you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. You’re smart. You’re tough. And you believe in doing what’s right. I know you’ll learn to control it and we’ll make it through no matter what’s awaiting us.”

Peggy’s eyes are filled with tears and she’s fighting to keep them at bay.

“Hey” Steve says in a lighter ton. “Usually you’re the one giving me the pep talks. Looks like I’m becoming wiser than you.”

She hits him softly in the ribs with her elbow.

“Never.” She tells him and she’s smiling now.

“Try to get some sleep. It’s the middle of the night and we had too many emotions for one day.”

“I don’t think I’m sleepy.”

“Oh really?” His voice has become huskier.

She feels his hand move slowly lower down her stomach and her breath immediately catches in her throat.

“What can we do about it then?” He whispers low and deep next to her ear.

He starts kissing the curve of her neck while his hand is traveling further down, going between her thighs. Peggy moans softly, sucking her stomach in.

“Whatever you want.” She answers breathless.

His fingers start caressing her through the thin fabric, venturing lower, as his thumb presses on her sensitive nub. Peggy arches into him and she can feel him becoming hard behind her. She pushes her head onto his shoulder encouraging him to keep kissing her neck.

He brushes his lips behind her ears, further down her nape, darting his tongue to taste her skin. And he continues exploring down her body, pushing up the t-shirt to access her panties. He can feel her wetness through the cotton and he lets out a groan of his own appreciation.

He finally slides his hand under her underwear and starts exploring her folds. Slowly. Taking his time. Just so she can make those breathless sounds he loves hearing.

His index and middle finger tease her opening, dipping in slightly before pulling back out. And she whimpers out loud.

“Steve, yes.” She moans and thrusts her hips, taking his two fingers deep into her tight warmth.

The pad of his thumb goes to rub her clit and she can’t repress the movement of her hips, circling around him. At every thrusts she feels his length pressing against her behind, the delicious memory of how he felt inside her the night before coming back to her.

Peggy bits down on her bottom lip as Steve begins sucking gently at her neck again, following the pace she is setting for herself down there.

Suddenly she arches her back, her fists clenching at the sheet covering her and Steve hooks his fingers deeper inside her, rubbing her faster until she cries his name as she comes and shakes, her body pressing back against him, trembling.

He drops feather kisses on the skin of her neck and behind her ear.

It’s quiet for a moment, until Peggy starts rubbing against him, but he puts his hand on her hip to stop her.

“We should sleep Peg.”

“But—” She starts protesting and twists her neck a little to look at him.

“It’s alright.” He interrupts and brushes his thumb on the line of her jaw. “Close your eyes.”

She takes a deep breath and presses her lips on his for a second before scooting back into him. She can’t repress to subtly grind her behind against his hard length and she hears the smile in his voice.

“Don’t be cruel.”

“I’m never cruel my darling.” She answers, feeling content, her eyes drifting shut and soon falling sound asleep.

…

A heavy knock on the door jolts them awake. They are still curled up together under the sheets. Peggy jumps outside of the bed in a start.

“What is it?” She calls out.

A voice she doesn’t know answers on the other side of the door.

“I have a delivery for you.”

She groans and turns back to Steve. He’s sitting on the bed, passing his hands on his face trying to wake up.

“I’ll get it.” Peggy tells him.

She cracks open the door just enough to retrieve the brown bag an agent hands to her.

“Thank you.”

“Mr Stark is expecting you in the main kitchen in 20 minutes.”

“Alright.” She nods and closes the door.

Peaking in the bag she sees clothes and what seem to be toiletries for both of them.

“Thank God! We can change from these unfitting rags.”

Steve stands up and walks the short distance that separates them to encircle her waist with his arm and drops a kiss on her temple.

“Good morning.” She smiles at him.

“What time is it?” His voice is still clouded with sleep.

They both look up at the clock on the wall. It was five past nine.

“Well at least he let us sleep a little.” Steve sighs.

“I’m going to take a shower.” Peggy says as she empties the content of the bag on the bed and grabs underwear and a soap.

“Care for me to join?” He smirks.

“There’s nothing I’d love more my darling but we have to be ready in less than 20 minutes.”

Steve grunts in complain and goes to check the clothes that have been delivered for him too.

“Don’t worry, I will make it up to you for last night. I promise.”

She bends down and kisses his cheek.

“I certainly hope so.” Steve says arching his brow.


	8. You're not alone

Steve and Peggy are walking down the facility leading to the common kitchen area at Tony Stark’s request. No one comes to fetch them and they walk unescorted. Steve knows his way around, it seems clear that he spent a great deal of time in the facility before deserting the Avengers. 

Peggy wonders what he must be feeling right now. Being back here. Free to walk around, at least in this area. She’s pretty sure they were not allowed anywhere else and she knows they are watched, probably 24/7. Suddenly she remembers what happened the night before. Hopefully there were no cameras in the damned quarters they slept in. She winces at the idea there could have been under surveillance. They were reckless, they should have checked.

Peggy shakes her head trying to get rid of the thought. What’s done is done. No need to dwell on it. She needs to think about something else.

“Does Tony live in the compound? I thought he owned this big ugly phallic tower in Manhattan.” She asked Steve who immediately lets out a quick laugh at her choice of words.

“Yeah he usually lives in his big…  _ phallic _ tower.” He repeats her expression, amused. “Since Rhodey was injured he relocated here. To be near during his recovery process I believe and probably building him some robotic aid.”

“How did Rhodes get injured?”

Steve lowers his voice, wincing a little. “Vision. He tried to stop Sam but was distracted by Wanda being down. He missed him and hit Rhodey instead. The man fell from something like 500 feet into the ground.”

“Oh.” Peggy says, confounded. “This all situation is such a hot mess.”

...

The shared kitchen of the Avengers compound is not what she had expected. It’s a vast room, with multiple levels, distinct lounging areas, couches, meeting tables and various clear screens are scattered in a modern and sleek space. That’s not exactly what she would call a ‘kitchen’. 

Displayed on the kitchen island is everything one can need and want for breakfast. Juices, hot beverages, fruits of all sorts and a huge basket full of muffins and other delicacies. 

“Oh thank God!”

Peggy practically jogs toward the appetizing buffet, completely ignoring Tony who is watching outside a window in the opposite corner.

Steve comes to an halt when he sees the man while Tony does the same after turning around alerted of their presence by Peggy’s voice.

Tony’s bottom lip is swollen and bruised, but otherwise he seems fine despite being punched by Steve and launched against a wall by Peggy’s blast the day before.

They nod at each other briefly and Tony steps in closer to Peggy. She’s already engulfing a muffin in a very unlady like manner and pouring coffee in mugs for her and Steve.

Tony and Steve both watch her, seemingly amused and they even exchange a look that doesn’t seem to be filled with hate or regrets. Peggy takes this as an encouragement and keeps digging happily into her pastry.

“What?” She asks them her mouth practically full. “I’m starved.”

Tony snorts loudly and turns around to grab an apple.

“Some things never change.” He mumbles.

Peggy gulps her mouthful of muffin and frowns at him.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” 

“You’ve always had quite the appetite.”

Peggy comically faints being shocked and looks at Steve.

“Can’t contradict him, it’s true.” The soldier shrugs.

“Wait until Thanksgiving and our traditional Turkey with figs and morel sauce. I’ve never seen—” Tony stops himself and looks away from her like he finally realizes to whom he was speaking to. “Never seen Aunt Peggy devour that much food.”

He looks back at her and Peggy doesn’t move, holding her half-eaten muffin mid-air. She’s afraid to speak and honestly she has no idea what to say to him. He’s clearly recollecting memories of moments he lived with her future self. Whereas for her he’s still practically a stranger. 

“Blueberry, right?” Tony jerks his chin towards her.

Peggy peers down at the pastry in her hand. She doesn’t say a word and looks back at him, her mind blank at his statement.

“It’s always been your favorite. I got a couple more in there for you. Help yourself.” He glances at the basket.

Tony purposefully bought her favorite muffins. It wouldn’t be too forward to assume that Peggy meant a greater deal to Tony than she anticipated. She had noticed the way he looked at her. Suspicious and sad at the same time. Maybe a little frighten. Steve never really mentioned it before but it’s not like they had a luxurious amount of time to detail her entire life after 1949. Or maybe Tony himself never told Steve. And she is just not ready to hear it anyway. She’s not sure she’ll ever be.

Tony sniffles loudly and he pinches the bridge of his nose, closing her eyes with a frown. He walks away at the same moment Steve, who’s been silent during this whole bizarre exchange, steps closer to Peggy putting his hand on the small of her back.

“You alright?” He whispers noticing her uneasiness.

“Yes.” She nods quickly a couple of time and resumes to eat the blueberry muffin.

That’s when Bruce, Thor and Vision enter the space together. Peggy’s eyes drop on the gracious frame of Vision and he locks his eyes with hers. He tilts his head to the side and he walks slowly towards the couple.

“Steve. Miss Carter.” He salutes them.

“Mister… Vision?” She hesitates.

She sees him smile and there’s something in his synthetic eyes that looks so much more human that she imagined finding there.

“Just Vision.”

“Alright.”

“I apologize about our encounter in the train.”

“No need to. You were following orders.”

He nods and Tony claps his hands together.

“Okay now that the Brady Bunch is here, let’s begin.” He claims while the rest of the group is busy getting coffee.

“Begin what exactly?” Bruce asks dipping a teabag in a large mug.

“Negotiating.”

Tony offers them a deal. It seems like he understands the gravity of the situation and that they will need the Avengers back together to be able to defeat whatever is coming at them. He didn’t report their presence here to the United Nations or to S.H.I.E.L.D. Bruce is surprised to hear S.H.I.E.L.D. is back up and running. He has been away for a very long time apparently.

Peggy knows very well that even if Tony had informed S.H.I.E.L.D., Coulson would have probably intercepted the intel. She knows him, she knows where his loyalty lies. Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. had to comply with the Accords and even named an Inhuman at his direction, it didn’t mean Phil would have captured Steve or any of the Avengers. It was a relief really. Just like it was comforting to hear that Tony is willing to negotiate.

He also wants to know where the others are. Sam, Scott, Clint and Wanda were named. At the mention of Wanda’s name, she notices Vision lowering his head. Tony doesn’t speak about Natasha. He’s probably aware that the redhead wouldn’t show up anyway.

No judicial proceedings will be attempted against any of them. Tony is very clear about this. They are offered safe shelter here in the compound.

Steve informs him that he can contact the others but the choice of returning or not would be theirs. He obviously won’t give Tony their location.

“What’s the catch?” Bruce finally asks the question everyone is thinking about.

“I want you to reconsider signing the Accords.”

Steve sighs loudly and Peggy can see him flex his hands at his side.

“That includes you.” 

When Peggy looks in Tony’s direction he’s pointing at her.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Don’t be surprised. You have powers now, don’t you? Your little stunt in the train and the holding cells. You’re in cahoots with Strange. You’re one of them, whatever they are.” He waves his hand aimlessly in the air.

Peggy looks down at the sling ring on her left hand. She has practically forgot about it but now it seems to be burning a hole in her fingers.

“I’m not in  _ cahoots _ with anyone.”

“I’m a demigod and I’m not even from this realm, don’t expect me to sign your Accords.” Thor says casually.

Tony points at Vision. “He’s an AI powered by a mystical gem and doesn’t have a social security number. He signed. So trust me, you’ll need to agree as well if you want to be part of the team again.”

“I don’t require to be part of any team to defeat Thanos.” Thor retorts with anger.

“Can we just—” Steve starts to say and stops seeing both men are starting an argument that he won’t be able to stop. He sighs and tries again. “Tony, that’s not going to work, you know it. How do you even know the UN will give us a second chance without putting us to trial?”

“They won’t have a choice. If this magical H bomb of inhalation is real, we’re their only chance. That’s leverage. Let me deal with the negotiation.”

The discussion lasts for a few more minutes but soon everyone is pondering on their own. After some time the group breaks apart and Tony comes to Peggy and Steve, both sitting on the same sofa chair, Peggy in the edge of the seat and Steve on the arm of the chair. 

“I’ve arranged for you to stay in a more comfortable room.”

Peggy stands up to face him.

“Thank you Tony.”

“Will you consider this?”

“I’ve never even read those Accords. I know nothing about them.”

“I’ll have a copy delivered for you.” He concludes.

Steve is standing up beside her and Tony glances up at him.

“You know your way around. I didn’t change the locks.”

Steve tilts his head at the choice of words. He is fairly certain that they reflect the letter he wrote to Tony a few weeks ago. The millionaire pulls out a magnetic key from his pocket and extends it to Steve. 

“But for now I can’t allow you permission to get out of the facility.”

“We understand.” Steve answers calmly, taking the card from Tony. 

The man nods and leaves the common area. When Steve lowers his head to look at the key, he snorts knowingly.

“What is it?” Peggy asks.

“This is for you, I won’t need it.” He answers mysteriously.

He hands her the silver card and she notices the “S.R.” initials printed on it in red. She looks back at him puzzled and he nudges her to follow him.

“Come on. I’ll show you the way.”

…

Steve walks in the corridors with ease and pushes some doors to show Peggy around. He takes her to the private gym the Avengers used to share, luxurious workout equipment is scattered on the floor, as well as modern workout machines. The adjacent door reveals a boxing area, with a ring and several punching bags. The room is dimly lit and it reminds her of these gyms she used to know back in the forties. 

“It was my request.” He offers her with a small smile. 

She caresses his arm, smiling in response, understanding his need to hold on something familiar from his time. 

They stop at a platform overseeing a large empty training area. The space is very open and its height probably matches the whole building floors. Steve explains they usually trained here as a group to work on combat tactics and team building. It’s big and empty. The damage done by superheroes training, if there was any, could be minimal. 

At her right Peggy notices the large windows that give her an amazing view to the outdoor of the compound. The facility is surrounded by a thick forest. She can see a landing site and hangars for aircraft similar to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s quinjets.

“Where are we by the way?”

“Upstate New York. Only takes a few minutes to reach Stark Tower by chopper and less than an hour to the city by road.”

“It seems so secluded.”

“It is a little. There’s not a lot of natural landscapes untouched by men on the coast. It used to be much more pristine.”

“I thought you were a city chap?” She says smiling at him when she notices he looks kind of nostalgic.

“Yeah you’re not wrong. But sometimes I think about the nights we spent outdoors in Europe. I grew up in Brooklyn, never knew anything else and during the war, waking up in the early hours of the day, listening to the quiet of the forests and countryside, even if it only lasted for a few minutes before the day started, it was— I don’t know. Being here reminds me of it. I used to like going out for a run at dawn around the building in the woods. Brought me back I guess.”

Peggy lets him talk and she watches his profile while he is reminiscing on old and more recent memories. The smile on his face has long flattered and she knows he is remembering their war days. Probably their friends. It isn’t such a fresh memory to her, she had time to mourn the friends they buried, to see the ones that made it go on with their lives. Dum Dum wedding was certainly a night to remember. But Steve found out everyone he had known was dead by the time he came back. He must have lived so much in his memories and she is amazed that he survived this kind of heartbreak. Not that she doesn’t think he’s strong enough to handle it but she just wishes he hadn’t have to live this kind of pain.

She threads her fingers with his and he’s taken away from his thoughts, looking down at her with glistering eyes. He gives her a quick smile that she’s sure he hadn’t meant to look sad and they leaves the outstanding outdoor view.

They soon get to the housings quarters. They pass a number of doors. Peggy has a hard time separating one to another, they all look the same to her but Steve knows exactly in front of which one to stop. She notices the initials right above to door handles in silver letters. S.R. Same as those on the card he gave her. 

Steve steps aside a little to put three of his fingers on a screen pad on the wall. The door opens and when they walk inside a feminine voice resonates above their heads.

“Welcome back Captain Rogers. It’s been a while.” 

Peggy is a little startled but not that surprised to hear someone greet them out of thin air. Honestly if flying monkeys were the new fashion for delivering packages now it wouldn’t shock her one bit.

“It’s been a while indeed FRIDAY.” Steve casually answers the voice.

“Good to have you back. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”

“We might need new clothes for Miss Carter here and—.” He turns around to look at Peggy. “Do you need anything in particular?”

Peggy opens her mouth and closes it. She finds it so utterly strange to talk to a stranger’s voice coming out of speakers and requesting that items would be brought to her. She looks at Steve perplexed.

“Who’s that?” She whispers.

“Oh sorry.” He looks amused but doesn’t mean to mock her. “This is FRIDAY, it’s an AI, Tony’s creation.”

“Do you realize that what you just said makes absolutely no sense to me Steve.” She states still dumbfound and a little annoyed that she can grasp the concept of this FRIDAY person.

“Yeah—” He shakes his head. “Sorry, it’s— it’s a computer, it’s running this place, security, surveillance and well we can ask her pretty much anything we might need, I guess, right FRIDAY?”

“This is a very simplified version of what are my actual purpose and capabilities, Captain. But it is correct I suppose.”

Peggy notices a hint of sarcasm in the voice and well if this is indeed Tony’s creation, that sounds about right. 

“So it’s a her? Why doesn’t it surprise me.”

“Well it used to be a ‘he’ but Tony turned JARVIS into Vision so.” Steve shrugs. 

“What?” 

This time Peggy can repress the surprise in her voice. Of all the potential names, she wouldn’t have imagine hearing this one.

“Huh, that Tony used his previous AI to build Vision.” Steve repeats taken aback by her sudden agitation. 

“Jarvis?”

“Yeah I believe it’s what it was called.”

Peggy shudders. She’s hit by the souvenir of her long lost friend and suddenly wonders what relationship Tony had with Mr Jarvis. Obviously he had known him, it would be too much of a coincidence. She wonders if she should ask the billionaire about him.

“Peggy, sweetheart, are you ok?”

Steve set both his hands on the side of her upper arms and she looks into his eyes, a fuzzy feeling taking over her at the endearing term he used. She certainly never heard him calling her that before, even when they were alone.

“Yes. Yes.” She repeats, trying to convince herself more than him. “It’s— it’s a long story. I knew someone named Mr Jarvis and… well I supposed Tony Stark did too.”

“Friend?” Steve asks with concern in his voice. Obviously he has noted her distress.

“A very dear one, yes.” She puts her hand on his cheek and gives him a reassuring smile. “I’ll tell you about him one day.”

Suddenly she realizes she hasn’t even glanced a look inside the room they entered. It’s a large, luxurious studio with a beautiful view on the forest outside. They are standing in what seem to be the living area, with a comfortable couch and a coffee table facing a big tv screen. On the wall behind the couch is a long bookshelf filled with hundreds of books. Most of them seem quite old but some also look more modern, mostly the art books with paintings and photography of artists she doesn’t know.

Steve lets go of her as she steps in to venture further in the room. On the right, a corner opens to a very large bed, far bigger than anything she’s ever slept in. The sheets are a beautiful shade of faded blue, masculine and yet very luminous. Like the rest of the studio. It’s not really decorated, save some reproduction of famous paintings on the wall. 

Just under the window is a desk with a comfortable chair. And just like someone had left it only yesterday, a pile of notebooks, crayons, pencils and other art supplies are scattered on table.

The left side of the studio shows a door she assumes is leading into a bathroom. Next to it, there’s a counter with a coffee maker and a small fridge under it.

Peggy is attracted to the sight of the modern desk in front of her and especially the mess that is on top of it. The rest of the studio is otherwise very well kept but this specific area seem much more chaotic.  

Steve silently follows a few steps behind as she explores. Her eyes are caught by the photos tucked on the railing of the window. She recognizes some of the people she meet. Sam, Nat and Wanda especially. And under it on the desk are a couple of frames. One of them she assumes is Steve’s mother. She’s wearing an elegant sunday dress and is standing on the stair of a brownstone building entrance, probably in Brooklyn. The other frame is a photo of Bucky and Steve as young men during the war, after he was administered the serum. She traces her fingers on Steve’s face in the picture.

“You look younger.” She almost whispers.

“I was 70 years younger then.” A smile is detectable in his voice.

“This is your room.”

“Yes. Looks like Tony didn’t turned it into a gym after all.”

“He didn’t touch anything, right?”

Steve looks around and rubs his neck with his hand, shoving his other hand in his pocket.

“No I don’t think he did.”

Peggy keeps exploring and reaches a corner by the bed with a large closet door. She looks at Steve asking without words if she can open it. He understands immediately and nods. There’s a closing rack with some suits and changes of clothes. Not much but she knows he’s not accustomed of owning a lot. Boxes and bags are covering the floor. She recognizes tactical bags and gears peaking out of some. Not a lot of leisure garments. His life really revolved around the Avengers then. At her right there’s another closet door slightly opened that catches her eye. When she opens it she feels Steve sitting on the bed behind her.

In front of her is his Captain America uniform. A very different one that she had known during the war. She passes her hand on top of the star-shaped applique on the chest.

“It’s different.” 

She has seen some footage and photographs of Steve in his new uniform of the 21st century but it was still curious for her to see it up close. The helmet has his own docking and the suit is cleverly hanged as to be easily slipped on in case of urgency. The material seems far more solid and offering much better protection. She stopped counting how many time Steve or herself had to stitch up the uniform Howard made him after a battle. 

“I’ve had a few of version of it. There should be an other stashed in the common changing rooms.”

“Always ready for combat.”

He nods silently.

“And definitely less flashy than your USO tour costume.” She turns to smile at him to find his head down, not looking at her nor the suit. “Who designed them?”

“Tony.” He offers as a simple fact without lifting his head.

She takes a mental note of it. At some point she will be needing tactical gear.

Peggy closes the cupboard and walks the few steps separating her from where he’s sitting on the bed. She stops before him and lowers her hand to softly touch his cheek.

“Steve?”

To her surprise Steve encircles her waist, two strong hands digging into her sides. He buries his face on her stomach and lets out a long sigh. 

“Are you alright darling?”

He nods against her middle and she can feel the scratch of his light stubble on the fabric of her shirt.

“Just tired of all this.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He let out a small tired groan and tighten his embrace.

“I don’t know. I—” 

He stops, letting one hand travel on Peggy’s back, caressing her up and down along her spine.

She’s amazed how easy it is for them to touch, to be close. They barely had the chance to do so during the war. It was a question of professionalism and of course manners. She knew the flirting and the romantic innuendos they exchanged were obvious and everyone knew they were pretty much involved or would end up to be at the end of the war. But they never carried on with the physicality of their relationship. The frustration was greater than anyone could have imagine for Peggy. She can’t recall how many times she had wanted to push him into a dark corner of a deserted debrief room or in a tent after an op to kiss him senseless.

And now they are in the intimacy of his former home, touching, holding each other. It’s such a luxury. It is so easy and natural too. They just belong. 

Steve starts talking again after a short silence.

“It’s not easy. Being here. I left that life behind to help Bucky. I let down everyone else in the process. Now I don’t know what it means that I’m back. Bucky’s still out there, safe for now but he can’t stay in cryo forever. I can’t bring him here, with me. And I don’t know about the Accords. I don’t know anything.”

He lifts his head to look at her and rests his chin on her stomach. The blue in his eyes is so bright, full of honesty and trust. Peggy threads her fingers in his hair to encourage him to continue.

“There’s just one thing I’m sure of, Peggy.” He pauses. “You. I’m so grateful you’re here. I can’t begin to express how happy it makes me. I didn’t think I’d ever have a shot at happiness in my life again. I was ready to go through it just surviving. Helping others, helping the world. Protect and serve. It’s all I had.”

Peggy trails her hands from his hair to his cheeks to hold his face and planted a determined look in his eyes.

“It’s not all you had, or have for that matter. You have friends Steve. I’ve seen you with Sam and Natasha and Wanda. You have created a family of your own. And you have Bucky. Even if he’s not with you now. He will be. I’m sure of it. Oh Steve, don’t you dare say that your life was meaningless because I wasn’t there. No matter how flattering it might sound.” 

She sees his eyes shine with tears but he doesn’t let them out.

“I love you my darling. I’m incredibly grateful to be here with you too. To have that second chance. I’ll be with you forever if I’m allowed. You’re not alone.”

Steve settles his cheek on the flat of her stomach again and squeezes her middle strongly. Her fingers naturally go back to dig into his hair. They stay like this for a moment before Peggy catch sight of another frame on the nightstand by the bed.

“Steve…” She calls him quietly to be able to detach herself from him.

His eyes follow her frame until she reaches to take the picture in her hands. It’s a photograph of herself, in her official US army uniform. This was taken a few months before he took the Valkyrie down the icy ocean. He’s keeping it next to him where he sleeps. The love and the pain it sends through her heart are mixing together into a strange feeling. She’s sad, oh so sad that he lived so much in the past but again, she can repress pride and joy to his devotion to her.

When she turns around, he’s only a few inches from her, holding something in his hand. She lowers her eyes to see what it is and is stricken by the sight of his compass, opened in his palm, with the same faded newspaper cutout of her portrait.

Her breath catches in her chest and he’s smiling. When he opens his mouth to say something, a sudden knock on the door startles them both.

She wants so desperately to jump at his neck and kiss him until her dying breath. But just like that the moment is gone. 

“FRIDAY? Who is it?” Steve asks looking towards the door.

“A copy of the Sokovia Accords delivered for Miss Carter, Captain.”

Steve and Peggy look at each other for one last second before Steve walks to the door. She’s still clutching at the frame in her hands, knuckles white with how thigh she’s holding it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading. I finally sat down to script the entire story to give better direction when i'm writing it and pretty much know how it will develop and finish. I'm not sure exactly how many chapters there will be but I can guess this will be quite a long fic. Hopefully that will motivate you to stick with it :)


	9. Are we even?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My muse is baaack!
> 
> As usual this is unbeta'ed so I apologize for m horrible spelling and grammar. 
> 
> Let me know if you liked it!

Peggy is sitting on the couch of Steve’s studio, her legs bent under herself. She closes the heavy copy of the Accords that were delivered to her a couple of hours ago. 

Steve has left her alone to read it, she’s not sure where he went but she can imagine he was talking with his former teammates, or maybe went trying to blow up some steam in the gym. She could definitely use working out for a few hours to take her mind of the events of this past couple of days.

She stands up and starts pacing in the room. What she just read wasn’t as upsetting as she had imagined. It was a lot to process and she isn’t sure she understood the full extend of it. Some regulations were quite difficult to comprehend for a woman who’s been missing more than sixty years of politics and technology advancement. 

But it seems pretty extreme, even when she tries to consider it through the lense of her spy and military training. Too controlling. She does understand that allowing enhanced beings to act without any oversight is a risk and could lead to dangerous geopolitical implications. It all is a dilemma she wasn’t sure she can yet solve.

Walking to the window, her eyes drift again at the photographs of Steve’s friends. There’s a picture of Tony amongst them. A bright smile on his face, holding his arm around Bruce’s neck in a lab. Bruce has a light smirk on his face as well, not quite as big as Tony’s. Bruce’s smile looks somehow sad, something she has noticed when she observed the scientist in the kitchen earlier. He doesn't seem to hide his uneasiness and Peggy wonders about the man. About all of them really. How damaged they seem to be. She knows, she’s seen a similar attitude with soldiers of the war. Trauma, stress, fears. Those are just some of the few emotional wounds on the spectrum of PTSD. 

All of them suffered it at some point, in some way or another. Steve included. Herself included. How can people who have been under so much damage can handle such extent of authority? Or maybe they need it, maybe it’s what can help them set their record straight. Guidance, supervision. What seems wrong is that it doesn’t feel like a benevolent thing. That’s not what she read.

Peggy hesitates when the idea crosses her mind. It seems strange but she heard Steve adress FRIDAY before so why not give it a try herself.

“Huh, FRIDAY?” She speaks out loud looking around her and feeling completely ridiculous.

“Yes Miss Carter?” Even if she was expecting it, Peggy is a little startled by the melodic voice coming out of nowhere. She knows there are speakers on the ceiling somewhere but it's still weirding her out.

“Would you be so kind and give me the list of people who signed the Sokovian Accords?” 

“Of course, the first signatory was Mister Stark and the following have signed it: Vision, James Rhodes, King T’Challa, Peter Parker and Daisy Johnson, as well as other 4 persons identified as inhumans currently working for S.H.I.E.L.D. Would you like the full list?” 

Peggy is surprised when she hears Daisy’s in the list. The agent has not mentioned it to her.  

“No that’s fine.”

“Several signatories are deceased. Natasha Romanoff has ratify the Accords and is currently considered a fugitive after violating their terms.”

“Thank you FRIDAY.”

“You’re welcome Miss Carter. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”

“You can start by calling me Peggy. Miss Carter sounds awfully formal since you can observe my every move.”

“Very well, Peggy.” 

It seems all very natural to speak to this AI, Peggy grows more and more curious about how it works, how Tony could have built something so clever and live-like. 

“I just want to add that I can’t observe residents of the compound, unless I’m instructed to do so. I don’t keep records of your whereabouts. I’m only activated when being called by name or when an emergency presents itself.” FRIDAY adds. 

“What about the cameras everywhere?”

“Those are independent of my system. It’s part of the compound security, I operate separately on Mister Stark’s personal servers but I can access it if required.”

“So only Tony can instruct you to keep tabs on us?”

“Not only him. To a certain degree, all the member of the Avengers have access to my services.”

“This sounded a little naughty.” Peggy says lifting an eyebrow, amused.

“Well you know who programmed me, Peggy.”

Peggy snorts out loud. She’s starting to like this AI.

“Who manages the compound’s security system then?”

“Currently it’s been disconnected from its base of operations. The UN have control over it but Mister Stark has diverted it in order to keep your presence undiscovered, as well as the ones of Captain Rogers, Dr Banner and Thor.”

“Interesting.” Peggy sits back on the couch and puts her hand on the cover of the Accords’ copy. “Won’t they eventually find out their systems have been compromised?”

“I could bore you with the details but to keep it short Mister Stark made sure the UN security team wouldn’t suspect your presence here.”

“Well I appreciate you summarized this. And thank you for your answers. I didn’t think it would be so easy to get them.”

“You've been authorized to use my assistance but I’m only telling you what Mister Stark have allowed you to access.”

Of course he did. 

She hears the discrete bip which announces the unlocking of the studio door. Steve gets in, holding a tray with plates. It looks like sandwiches and a big salad bowl. Peggy feels her stomach grumble at the thought of food.  

“Hi.” He says quietly. “Am I disturbing you? You want me to come back later?”

“No, no that’s fine. I’m pretty much done going through it. Tolstoi doesn’t have anything on the people who wrote this.”

Steve smiles and sets the tray on the coffee table in front of her. He leans his hand on the arm of the couch to bend and put a kiss on Peggy’s temple.

“I made you sandwiches in case you were hungry.”

“You made them?" 

“Yeah. What do you seem so surprised? Don’t I look like I can cook?” He teases her a little. 

“I don’t know, actually. I never— never really thought about it.”

“Well there’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

She smiles. But it’s not only because of his pleasant tone. She still has a lot to learn about him. She knows him. She knows him with every fiber of her being. But they barely spent time alone, talking about themselves, who they are, before she was brought back to him. She does know his value, his loyalty, his heart and commitment. She knows he can be sometimes reckless and impulsive when it comes to the people he loves or his beliefs. She knows what makes him who he is and why she loves him.  

However she doesn’t know if he likes his coffee black or with milk. She doesn’t know on which side of the bed he likes to sleep. She doesn’t know where he learnt to draw and why he likes sketching so much. All these small details that make a person, she still has to learn. And the simple idea that she has a second chance at discovering them makes her happy.

They eat together, chatting about the food and what they like, what they don’t. Steve apparently loves sushis. He has to describe it to her and it seems absolutely disgusting. He promises to make her taste it. There’s apparently a great  _ sushi place _ in his old neighborhood in Brooklyn.

“It’s funny how sometimes you sound like a man of this century.” She says looking at him lovingly.

“Well you seem to be the only one to think this. Everyone is teasing me about not getting half of the references they make and of the way I talk.”

“We’re way too polite for them.”

“Oh yeah, you have no idea!”

“We should change that. I kind of like swearing.”

“See, they would laugh at you for what you just said.”

“What did I just say?” Peggy feigns to be offended.

Steve laughs and he has the most beautiful smile on his face. She likes this. This moment. Just the two of them. Talking, laughing. Almost not a care in the world right this instant. She sighs. If only it could last. 

“What is it?” Steve traces the line of her jaw with his thumb.

Her smile must have deflated at her last thought.

“Nothing.” She shakes her head.

Steve is silent for a minute, looking into her eyes, searching there for something. She doesn’t add anything and lets herself drown in the blue pool of his eyes.

“What did you think of the Accords?” He finally asks her.

Yes, indeed, it couldn’t last. She doesn’t blame him, she hasn’t been thinking about much else since she read them.

“I don’t know. I think the intention is commendable. Maybe required at some extent. But it all seems...,” she pauses and starts again, “I understand the issue of geopolitics and the necessity of diplomatic accords. Peace in the world is a hard thing to maintain. It has always been. You and I more than anyone know this. Most wars are started by similar incidents that happened during Avenger’s missions, by these misconceptions. And by men. That’s what it is too. It’s control. Being controlled by  _ men _ . Which can mean bias, corruption, alliances. Wars. It’s not healthy.” She pauses, realizing she went on more than she had wanted. “I’m sorry, I don’t even know if that makes sense.”

Steve bows his head. “Trust me it does. You have no idea how relieved I am that that’s what you think too.”

She sets her lips in a thin line. “Of course. Do you think I would have agreed for you to become the weapon of a government again?”

“No. I—” He hesitates, shaking his head. “I hoped.”

“I’m with you Steve.” She takes his face between her hands.

“I know.” He nods.

She plants her eyes in his and leans suddenly to kiss him. It’s deep and hurried and they lose themselves in it.

He easily slides his hands around the back of her head, deepening the kiss and she takes it as an invitation and climbs into his lap. She can get enough already, the way he tastes, his scent, his skin and the sensation of his touch. She could completely forget about everything when they kiss like this. 

Her hips roll on their own on top of him and she feels him groan in her mouth. Peggy breaks the kiss and looks at him panting. The blue of his eyes is turning darker and his bottom lips in shiny and swollen. He’s never been more beautiful than when she captures him.

His hands travel slowly down her back but she doesn’t let him reach her waist and gets up, leaving him alone on the couch. She smooths down her blouse and Steve seems confused until she stretches her hand out to him.

He takes it and she leads him to the bed, swaying her hips as she walks, barefoot on the soft carpet. He follows her without saying a word. 

When they reach the bed, Peggy turns around while Steve is already grabbing her hips. The desire on his face makes Peggy smirk before she tells him a firm “No.” 

“What—?” He tries to protest but she pushes him to sit on the edge of the bed before he can add anything.

“Don’t move.” She orders.

His eyes go another shade darker as he looks up at her.

She kneels down in front of him and parts his legs to situate herself between them. She starts undoing his belt, without any preambule.

“Peggy, what,” he’s stammering, “what are you—”

“Hush.” She sets one finger on his lips and keeps working on the fly of his jeans. “It’s my turn.”

The hooded look she gives him makes Steve go mute again. He observes her every move. When she starts squirming down his pants Steve lifts off his hips, supporting the weight of his body on both his arms. His biceps band visibly as he does. Peggy has to clench her tights to hold back the need to climb on top of him immediately, grab his shoulders and take him inside her. First, she wants to give him this. 

“Take off your shirt.” She orders him after his jeans and underwear are out of the way.

Steve obeys immediately and removes his top so hastily he clumsily struggles to take it off. Once it’s all on the floor, he sets both his hand at his sides and waits. He’s hard and his breathing is heavy.

Peggy feels already very happy with her effect on him. And she hasn’t even really touched him yet.

“You don’t have to, Peg. I mean—” He tells her, hesitating a little.

“Steve.” She warns him. “One more word and I leave the room.”

He laughs and rolls his eyes. 

She encircles her fingers around his length and Steve exhales loudly. After stroking him lazily for a few seconds she looks up at him under her lashes and dives down to take him into her mouth. She sucks at him slowly and he almost immediately drops his head back between his shoulders. 

“Jesus Christ.” He swears between clenched teeth.

Peggy can’t retain a smile and lets him out of his mouth with a wet sound. 

“Fuck.” He looks back down at her, while she’s still stroking him with one hand, the other caressing his inder thigh, her lips so very close to his cock.

“Language, Captain Rogers.” She tells smugly.

Peggy is so damn pleased with herself, it’s exhilarating. Steve, though, well now he doesn’t seem amused at all. He has a pissed-off half smile on his face and his teeth sink into the flesh of his lower lip.

She slowly put out her tongue and licks his cock from the base to the tip, flicking it at the very top of the head. Steve groans and his hips slightly lift up closer to her face in an uncontrolled movement.

“You know, you were supposed to make it up to me for last night.” He says with a laboured voice while she keeps licking him without ever taking him in fully. “This is torture.”

“Is it really?” She answers with an innocent voice. “I can stop if you want?”

“No.” He almost yelped.” I mean—  _ Fuck _ . Unless you want to.” He says suddenly serious.

That man is way too good. Maybe even too good for Peggy. But she doesn’t care. She needs him, she desires him more than anything. And yes maybe she likes torturing him a little but she also craves to make him feel good. 

“I want you.” She simply states before closing her eyes and taking him in her mouth again. 

She licks and sucks and kisses him for long minutes. Steve’s breathing gets more and more strained and she takes the hints of every sound he makes, learning and engraving in her mind what drives him mad.

Her hand slides up and reaches his stomach. She caresses the curves of his taut muscles while she still works on him with her mouth. His sounds become louder as her movements become faster.

She feels his fingers threading in her hair and the hand resting on his stomach immediately travel down to cup his balls. 

“Peggy, I—” He warns her, “I’m coming, oh  _ fuck— _ ” but she keeps him in her mouth.

His hips lift up in spams and he drops his hand from her hair to her shoulder before falling down on the bed, his body completely slack.

Peggy gets up and goes to the couch to drink from a bottle of water. As she walks back she starts removing her clothes, taking her time. Steve rises up from the gaze of his orgasm to look at her.

When she reaches him she’s only wearing her underwear. 

“So, are we even?” She asks.

“I don’t know about that.” He teases her.

She lifts her eyebrows in defiance. “Oh really? Tell me that wasn’t the best oral sex you’ve ever had.” 

“Well it’s the  _ first _ oral sex I’ve ever had and you know it.” He answers with a laugh.

“Yes that’s what I’m saying, the best.” She smiles widely, both hands on her hips.

Shaking his hand, Steve gets on his feet and grabs her waist. He kisses her and spins her around to push her onto the bed. 

He has stopped teasing, he is not saying a word now, all she sees on his face is the want he feels for her. He crouches down and starts leaving kisses along her calf, on the inside of her knee, using his hand as a guide. His fingers dig into her flesh possessively. 

When he twists her leg to open her up and kisses the inside of her tight, she moans and fists the sheet under her with both hands. His lips press at her mount and she can feel the heat of his breath through the thin cotton of her panties. She’s almost whining now and Steve smiles while he keep kissing and licking her through the fabric. 

“Steve, take it off.” She orders him with a breathy voice. “Take it off.” And she grabs a fist full of his hair.

He obeys right away and after throwing the undergarment on the floor, he licks at her opening fully. He’s rewarded by a loud moan from Peggy. He keeps experimenting, licking and pressing his tongue on her clit at different paces, varying the pressure, following Peggy’s breathed out encouragements.

He abandons her there after long minutes and climbs up to take care of her bra.

Once the underwear is completely out of the way, Steve takes her nipple between his lips and sucks at it. One of his hand is working on her breast while the other is traveling back down to her opening. He plunges two fingers in, pumping a couple of time before spreading her wetness on her clit and starts circling. He’s everywhere all at once, caressing her most sensitive spot, kissing and nipping at her nipples, his hand digging into the flesh of her breast. She’s never felt this in her life, being so overwhelmed by all of her senses. She barely understands what he’s doing to her. When she’s on the verge of completely losing herself, she looks down and he’s watching her between his lashes, her nipple rolling between his lips.

“Steve.” She only has time to cry before clenching her thighs and trapping his hand in the process. Her climax sends waves of pleasures to every nerve in her body. 

She goes slack and releases him from between her legs to let her whole weight sink into the bed. Steve comes up to her level and leaves a trail of feather kisses on the line of her jaw while she tries to calm her breathing. When she looks at him, he watching her perched on his elbow, a content smile on his face.

“Stop looking so satisfied.” She tells him in a ton she planned to be sarcastic. But her voice is still so shaky, she’s a little annoyed at herself for it.

“Oh I’m very satisfied.” His smile grows bigger when he sees her rolling her eyes. “It’s not like if I have that much experience but it looked pretty damn good, didn’t it?” He adds with a smug smile. 

“It was okay.” She tries and fails miserably to keep a serious tone.

“Com’on.”

“Oh shut up, you know it was pretty damn good.” Despise wanting to tease in return, she had to admit it had been one of the best orgasm of her life.  

Her eyes travel down his body and catch sight of his hard length.

“Well looks like someone is ready for round two.” She says in a husky voice.

“Round two? Is this a competition for you?” He notes almost laughing.

“Ain’t it?” She just has time to say lifting her eyebrow before he captures her mouth with his.

  
  



	10. It was just me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates lately! Life has a habit to come between me and my writing. It's a long chapter full of feels, hopefully that'll make up for the long wait :) Thank you for everyone who still read this story, I really appreciate all your kuddos and comments, it really means a lot!

A long while later, they are laying together on the bed, totally spent, all of their clothes and the covers somewhere on the floor. Peggy is on her back while Steve looks at her, on his side. Their hands are twined together between them. Steve is playing with the sling ring she wears on her left hand. The metal has stopped feeling cold on her skin and she is starting to get used to wearing it.

Her mind wanders a little in the quiet moment. She tries to focus on the sight of him, laying so close to her. She can take her time to look at him, really look at him. He has not exactly aged but just like she noticed when she saw him for the very first time in years, he looks older. The lines of his jaw are sharper and the blue of his eyes seems more piercing. The light stubble he keeps most of the time now, not bother the shave everyday, also comes in play.  

She thinks about what they talked about earlier. The desperate look on his face while telling her how lost he felt. She can relate to that feeling. When she landed in this timeline she had no idea what to do or where to go. The only thing that really mattered and kept her going was the prospect of seeing him again. Steve didn’t have the prospect of having a second chance with her. 

Waking up from the ice must have been an experience just as confusing as hers. Maybe even more. Somehow she felt lucky that he’d been through a similar ordeal. Maybe she could learn from his experience. Just like he could teach her about transitioning into having powers and the changes it entails in her life. They were still very different person but she realizes now that they have more in common than ever before.

“How did you managed when you went out of the ice?” She finally speaks after long minutes of silence.

Steve looks into her eyes, thinking about his answer.

“I didn’t really. The first couple of weeks were rough. Disconcerting and somber.”

“What happened after these two weeks? Did you get psychological help?”

“No.” He chuckles and smiles bitterly. “An alien invasion destroyed New York City.”

“That obviously took you away from your personal troubles.”

“Yeah, that it did.” 

His thumb starts caressing her bare arm and Steve gives her a hooded look that she’s starting to know pretty well. It sends shivers down Peggy’s spine. But she doesn’t want to initiate something right now and she knows he’s doing it to divert their conversation. First of all she’s completely spent and if his stamina is definitely a thing of wonder, hers doesn’t beneficiate of the same super strength. But mostly she wants to know. She needs it to understand the man he is now and the woman she’s becoming. She had a glimpse of his state of mind earlier and she saw that she still has much to learn about him.

Steve seems so tired. Not just this very moment but all the time. During the war he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders with pride and determination. Today he seems dragged down by it, pulling it behind him as his fate. She’s known him to be this optimistic idealist brave man. And now he barely knows why he fights. For what? For whom? For Steve it’s like the war never ended. He never stopped fighting. He never stopped searching for peace. Peace in the world, the universe now even, but peace in himself too.

“What did you do after the battle of New York?” She continues.

“I went to see you. The older you.”

She blinks rapidly.

“I had your address in a file Fury gave me. In England, a nursing home.”

“Did the grey hair suit me?” She tries to lighten the conversation for it to be more bearable. Probably more for her than him.

“Very much so. You looked beautiful. Or you will. I mean you looked just as beautiful as today, I just— Oh God this is confusing.”

She rests her hand on his cheek, happy to see the tiniest of smile on his face. 

“Trust me I know. I get knots in my brain when I try to make sense of this.” She smiles kindly.

But this beginning of a smile quickly flatters when he gets lost in his thoughts again.

“I was alone. I woke up and everyone I knew was dead. It was not just loneliness. I was truly alone.” He continues, confirming what she had imagined he’d been through. “I don’t think anyone can understand what this means unless you lived it. I had no home, no faces I recognized or looking vaguely familiar. No places to go. Nothing to do. I couldn’t understand the world as it was. It was loud and fast. The first day I spent in the apartment SHIELD provided me with I sat on the bed and stare at the wall for hours. I had nothing else to do. It was just me.”

Peggy can feel tears filling her eyes. She had mourned Steve and he had mourned her but she at least had Howard and Colonel Phillips, Jarvis and Anna, her job and her colleagues, not matter how annoying they were 99% of the time. She had people, people who cared and understood her pain. Steve had no one.

“My darling.” She murmures.

“I found out that you were still alive, just a day before Fury asked me to join the Avengers. So after everything went to hell I couldn’t go back to being alone. I was Captain America again. I made some connections with the Avengers and some SHIELD agents. Or Captain America did. He found a purpose. But Steve Rogers? Me? I still felt useless in between missions. Hollow. I had to visit you even if I was terrified. I didn’t want to put you through this, the shock of seeing me. But I needed you. I needed to connect with someone who knew me, the real me. I couldn’t spend a lot of time with you, not often either. Your memory… It was not quite there. Alzheimer disease, they call it.”

He pauses and watches her. She knows he can read her face better than anyone. And the unshed tears in her eyes are betraying her.

“Do you want me to continue?” He asks quietly and she nods slowly.

She doesn’t know if she can listen to this. It still could be her future. It could be the way she dies. She can’t be sure it won’t happen again and knowing how your life will end is terrifying even if it doesn't happen before decades. She’s scared. But she has to let him talk. He hasn’t told this to anyone. She knows it. He needs this probably more than she fears it.

“You were my beacon of light. As always. You helped me, without realizing it. I was nothing, no one in this world. Before I saw you again.”

“Were you there when I died?”

“No. I was here in the compound, in the kitchen. Pondering with the rest of the team about the Accords.”

“Oh Steve.” She breathes, realizing now how the conversion before with everyone must have made him feel and why he was holding her hand the entire time.

“It’s alright. Peggy you’re here now.” He takes her face in his hands. “I’m never gonna leave you again. I’ll never be alone again.”

“You won’t.” She kisses him. “Never.”

It’s a promise. And she has every intention to keep it. 

… 

 

It’s early in the morning the day after when FRIDAY informs Peggy that a disciple of Stephen Strange has arrived for her. She has to estricate herself from Steve’s hold where he is still hard asleep. She takes the time to hop in the shower and get dressed before going to Tony’s office.

When she arrives there the door is open and the room oddly silent. Tony is there, Wong sitting in front of him on the other side of the desk. They seem to be in a duel of silent looks which is apparently leading nowhere. She knocks on the door and Tony immediately jumps on his feet.

“Thank God you’re here!”

“Good morning to you too Tony.” She says wryly.

“That guy has absolutely no conversation, we've exchange three words tops since he's been here. It's absolutely boring.”

“You know I’m sitting here right?” Wong interrupts him.

“Yeah yeah. Anyways we’ve cleared him, he’s all yours Peggy. Whatever you need to do with him, just don’t bring him to after work drinks. He can’t sit with us.” Tony says patting her shoulder.

Peggy watches him leave the room hastily and still tries to comprehend what he just meant. She brushes it off quickly, she’s getting used to not understanding references from this century and just ignores them now. Although it seems like Tony likes his pop culture allusions and it might start to get complicated to communicate with him if he keeps talking in charades. 

“Hello, I’m Director—” She interrupts herself while extending her hand to Wong. “Just Peggy Carter. Pleased to meet you.”

Wong stands up and shakes her hand. He’s wearing unusual monk’s clothes, they look more practical, better fitted and definitely more suited for combat. She also gets a glimpse of his own sling ring when he puts back his hand inside his sleeves.

“I’m Wong. Let’s get started.” He says without any other introduction. “Where can we train?”

“Huh— well there’s a training centre of some sort. I’m not entirely familiar with this facility, I’ve only been here a couple of days.”

“We could go outside.” 

Peggy’s lips start twitching up at the idea of going outside while Tony expressly asked them not to leave the compound. 

“Sure, let’s do that.” She smiles widely under the scrutiny of Wong.

…

 

After she went to get some toasts and a coffee, Wong follows her to one of the exit doors she noticed during her visit of the area with Steve. The compound is quiet, it’s early and it seems like no one is awake or out and about yet.

She tries to open the door but it doesn’t budge. 

“Should we get Stark?” Wong asks her.

“No.” She answers immediately, looking to the side of the door where she notices a blue screen just like the one outside Steve’s and most of the other rooms in the facility. “Let me try something.”

She shoves her coffee mug and her half eaten toast in Wong’s hands and pulls out the keycard that opens Steve’s quarters from the back pocket of her jeans. And it works. The door opens as soon as she places it in front of the screen.

“Ah!” She exclaims. “That’s your mistake Tony Stark.” She says to herself.

…

 

Thirty minutes later, they haven’t started anything. There are not far from the door they used, on a long asphalt path cutting through perfectly maintained grass field that lead to the aircraft warehouse. The open air feels better than Peggy has anticipated, she hadn’t realized she actually spent the last couple of days indoors without feeling the fresh air on her face. It was nice. 

Wong have been circling around her, watching for long minutes before she started to get agitated. He instructed her to keep still which she does immediately completing, which reminded her of her military training career. God was it in another life? That very well could be when she think of how strange her present days have become.

Peggy thinks Wong even tried to make her meditate or something similar. Asking her to concentrate on her breathing and her surroundings. Honestly she is pretty irritated at this lack of action. The ring on her hand is starting to itch, she’s aware it’s a simple subconscious sensation and the ring isn’t actually doing anything but she still itches to do something, anything at this point, even running laps around the facility if that’s what Wong asked.

She finally breaks the silence between them. “You don’t want to be here, am I wrong?”

“You’re not wrong.” He bluntly answers.

“Then why did you come?” She’s surprised at his honesty but she does appreciate it.

Wong is silent again and Peggy sighs out loud. He keeps turning around her and she starts having this uneasy and familiar feeling.

“You don’t want to train me because I’m a woman?”

Of course women are in a far better place compared to the forties, she absolutely can’t deny it. But she can’t fail to notice that the Avengers are majoritarily made up of men, same as most people with any type of position of power. She’s meet strong women, Natasha, Wanda, Daisy, Jemma and Agent May are the ones that come immediately to her mind, but the list falls short compared to the number of men she encountered.

Wong stops his pacing and watches her curiously.

“Well you’re a monk” She continues. “Religions have been pretty hard on women since the dawn of time. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve come a long way since my time but I can’t fail to notice that a lot of things have not really changed.” She tells him to explain her statement.

“That’s not it.” He simply answers without trying to defend himself any further.

“Then what is it?” Her arms slam at her sides with a movement of exasperation. 

“I don’t like teaching. Not to men, not to women, not to anybody.”

“So I ask again, why did you agree to come here?”

“We don’t have a choice. Earth is vulnerable right now, more than it has ever been. We need all the help we can get. And you traveled through time and dimensions, I was curious.” He shrugs.

“Curious?” She laughs a little. “So you flew all the way from Tibet to study me?”

“I didn’t fly. I opened a portal.” Now the man seems to open up and finally the conversation is leading somewhere.

“Like Strange can do?” She asks with interest. “Can you teach me how to do it too?”

“I need to study you first.”

“I beg you pardon?” 

“I’m a keeper of the sacred books. I like to learn.” He smiles.

The man has picked her interest. She’s certain he’s far more powerful than he appears to be. And if there’s something Peggy excels at, it’s annoying men. Hurting their delicate ego has proven to be very useful to help her archive her goals.

“A librarian? Oh that’s just brilliant!” She tells him with an exaggerated mocking tone. “I can read you know, you can go back to Tibet if that's all you can teach me.” 

He doesn’t waste any time in appearing vexed and wanting to prove his value. He lifts his left hand and starts circling it in the air, while retrieving a long shaft concealed in the back of his outfit. She has to say that kind of impresses her and she takes a mental note to learn how to conceal such a weapon this way.

Wong’s magic circle starts appearing between them and he suddenly jumps in it before disappearing. She’s not even allowed a minute to realize what just happened in front of her eyes before the noise of an opening portal resonates a few feet above her. She just has the time to watch him backflip through the portal and land on his knee before her, using the shaft to steady his landing.

There’s a short moment of silence during which Peggy regains her composure and finally declares sarcastically. “Fantastic. You’re very capable.” She pats his shoulder quickly. “Now can we start training? I don’t have all day and Steve mentioned ordering tacos for lunch and I’ve never had it.”

Wong gets up on his feet and looks at Peggy like she’s some sort of strange creature he doesn’t understand. After giving it a thought for a second, he shrugs. 

“We’ll start your training now if I can get tacos too.” He answers deadpan serious which provokes Peggy to burst into laugher.

…

 

After a couple of hours Peggy and Wong are walking back inside the compound. In the common area, Steve is behind the kitchen counter, setting up the tacos. Banner is sitting at the edge of the kitchen island, his bended knee jumping in a nervous motion. He never seems to be really settled, even in this relaxed context. To his right a woman is sitting upright on a stool. She’s wearing a classy black pantsuit, her hair perfectly put-together. Peggy doesn’t recognize her but it looks like she knows the men quite well. Both Steve and Bruce are chatting carelessly with her. 

Steve finally notices they entered the room when Peggy and Wong reach the kitchen.

“Hey.” He welcomes her with a bright smile.

“Smells nice in here.” She hums and looks at the woman. “I’m Peggy Carter.”

“This is Maria Hill.” Steve explains. “She works at Stark Industries, we’ve known each other since, well pretty much since I was dug out the ice.”

Maria nods at Wong and stands up to extend her hand to Peggy.

“Director Carter.” She smiles. Peggy is a little surprised by the use of her title from before this timeline. Ever since she got here, no one has really used it Coulson who insisted on calling her this before they got to be on first names basis. 

Maria seems to catch on Peggy’s hesitation when she shakes her hand and elaborates.

“I’ve read a lot about your career and your work with SHIELD. You were quite an inspiration to me. I was an agent with SHIELD before working in the private sector. You’re pretty much the reason why I became an agent. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Thanks.” Peggy answers dryly, withdrawing her hand. She still has issues accepting the compliments some people have towards her. It’s not that she thinks she doesn’t deserve them, she can appreciate her path has lead to better positions in the military and secret services for women. But she knows when they think about Peggy Carter, they are not talking about her. About this version of her. They admire the other Peggy, the one from the present. And she feels like an imposter when this happens. The feeling isn’t empowering at all.

In an attempt to move the attention away from her, she goes behind Steve and tries to steal food from the plates Steve has laid out in front of him. 

“Hey! Hands off.” Steve slaps her hand quickly to make her drop the cheese she has picked up but it’s too late and she’s already engulfed it. She’s half giggling, half swallowing it when Steve turns around and puts both in hands on her hips to move her away from the food.

“You’ll have your share, now be nice.” 

“But I’m starving!”

Steve is smiling so hard, she knows they are making a show in front of their companions. Maria exchanges a curious look with Bruce who nods his head very subtly. 

They all take a sit around the kitchen island and eat. The discussion goes from the best food to try from this century to Thanos and what they know so far of his plans. Maria seems to already be in the loop, probably informed by Tony and it’s clear both Bruce and Steve trust her fully. 

When Peggy and Bruce are helping clean the counter, Maria turns to Steve.

“Have you hear from Sharon lately? Is she aware of what’s happening?”

“Not that I know of. I haven’t contacted her in a few weeks. But yeah, you’re right we should probably involve her. Numbers could make a difference in this.” Steve says seriously.

“I can brief her. On an unofficial level obviously, I don’t think the Agency would allow her to work with, well, fugitives.” Maria concludes with a smile.

“Who’s Sharon?” Peggy asks as she closes the dishwasher.

“It’s huh—” Steve hesitates before choosing to give her the truth. “Her name’s Sharon Carter. She’s your niece.”

Peggy is taken aback by the answer. Her heart starts racing in a way she hasn’t felt in years.

“Oh. I see.” She whispers. 

She immediately tries to change the subject and knows she’s not subtle about it but she couldn’t care less. She needs this topic of conversation to be over before she goes on full panic attack. 

“Where’s Thor? We haven’t seen him in a while.” She tries to ask casually.

The room is silent for a moment. Steve is studying her carefully, a worried frown on his features. 

“He went back to Asgard to follow the latest leads Heimdall has been able to gather on Thanos.” Bruce answers to put an end to Peggy’s agony.

Peggy just nods and looks back at Wong. 

“We should probably resume our training.” 

“I have to go too, I need to catch up with Tony and Rhodey before leaving.” Maria steps down of the stool. “It was a pleasure to meet you Peggy.”

“Likewise.” Peggy answers politely. 

She waits for the woman to leave the room and turns around to press a hand on Steve’s chest to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, before following Wong out of the common space.

Steve’s eyes follow her until she’s out of sight and turns around to find Bruce smiling at him.

“Looks like it was worth waiting that long.” The scientist says with a smirk.

“Yeah.” Steve drops his head. A few years back he might have blushed at this type of comment but today he didn’t. He was confident enough in his feelings for Peggy and had no intention to feel embarrassed or unworthy.

“You seem happy. Happier than I've ever seen you before.”

“We've never really hung out under really fun circonstances.” Steve mentions sarcastically.

“True.” Bruce snorts lightly. “But you’ve smiled more in an hour than in the entire time I've known you.”

Steve looks at the direction Peggy took to exit the room. “I still don't know what I did to deserve having a second chance with her.” He says pensively.

“You literally saved the world. And not once but a few times now Cap, I think a little happiness is long overdue.”

“ _ We _ saved the world.” Steve corrects him. He knows he’s a hero of some sort, he knows not everyone would do what he does. But he’s not alone in this, they are a team and Bruce is part of it.

“I actually try not to destroy it the majority of the time.” Bruce wrinkles his nose.

“You're getting there.” 

Steve drops his hand on Bruce’s shoulder, the man lifts his head to look at him before averting his eyes.

“I was.” He murmurs.

Steve removes his hand from his shoulder and crosses his arms.

“Does she know you're back?” He asks seriously.

“No.”

“You want me to contact her?”

“Steve. She's a fugitive, she can't show up here. What's the point?” Bruce shakes his head, defeated. 

He’s not wrong. Natasha knows better than just showing up because Bruce has suddenly came back from disappearing from the surface of the Earth (literally it seems).

“For her to know you're okay. She's been searching for you.”

“I know.” Bruce’s voice is still defeated but his answer is firm.

“Well if you want me to tell her, I can.” Steve nods, understanding his arguments. “But remember, waiting longer isn't gonna do any good.”

“It did work out for you.”

“I'm lucky, more than lucky. Got my girl back, got my best friend to safety.” Steve lifts his eyebrows. “I'm still wanted by every worldwide intelligence agencies and we're likely to prepare for a fight with a super powerful alien who wants to destroy the universe. Could be worst.” He shrugs. 

“God, when did our lives became such a mess?” Bruce laments at Steve’s current summary of the situation. 

“Well for us both, seems like it started with a certain billionaire named Howard Stark and his gamma rays.” 

“The way I see it, it started with your courage. And for me it was my arrogance.”

“We still ended up on the same team.” Steve smiles at Bruce.

“Yeah but don't tell Tony I would have chosen team Cap if I had been there in Germany.” Bruce tries to hide a smirk behind his hand making Steve laugh louder than he had in years.

“I won't.”

…

 

After a day of training for Peggy and catching up with Bruce for Steve, Peggy was closed off and didn’t speak much during dinner. When they come back to their room Steve knows something was going on and he wants to reopen the conversation they had during lunch.

“When we talked about Sharon earlier, I was wondering if you wanted me to contact her? We've managed to stay in touch, maybe you'd like to meet her?” He asks tentatively.

Peggy freezes in place, in the middle of the room, her back to his. She removes her jacket and drops it on the couch.

“Is it safe? I thought she was a CIA agent? You're still a wanted man.” She says without looking at him.

“Yeah she's okay, don't worry.” He shoves his hands in his pockets. “And I'm sure she would be thrilled to meet you.”

“I- No I don't think it's a good idea.”

“You sure? She's a good kid. She really admired you. I think you were a big inspiration in her life.”

“She's not my niece.” She states sternly.

“No I know. Technically she's not but she's still family.” 

He walks around and notices immediately the tears that are threatening to fall from her eyes. He reaches for her but she pushed his hand away from her face.

“She's not.” She lets her arms drop at her sides, her tone is hard when she talks fast and brutally. ”I don't know her. She doesn't know me. I'm not her Peggy. I'm not that woman. I'm starting to hate hearing people praising her and telling me how much they admired me. I haven't done half of what she's done. I haven't accomplish anything beside letting you crash that plane and landing on this dull dimension where everyone believes I’m this great hero. She's not me. Her family is not my family. I'm not that Peggy Carter. I don't want to know her!”

Steve takes a step back, surprised by her tone and her words. He seems hurt somehow.

“Alright alright. I'm sorry, I didn't know you—”

“Drop it Steve okay?” She cuts him, realizing she might have been too harsh, but the anger is still bubbling inside her. “I don't want to talk about her or her family, they’re not mine.”

Steve gets closer to her.

“Peggy…” He begs her and tries to catch her eyes. 

She is shaking a little and a tear rolls down her cheek. This time she allows him to settle his hand on the side of her head, his thumb soothing her temple.

“I'm sorry. I’m- I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's not you.”

“I know.” He tells her softly.

“I'm not ready to hear all this.” She leans in his soothing touch. “I'm not ready to hear about that life I'll never get to live. I thought I didn't care because I've got you and it's all that matters. But I’ve missed everything. I've missed building SHIELD. I've missed HYDRA invading it. I've never seen the signs even in the early days. I should have.  _ She _ should have. And now I have these powers that I never asked for. I have to get into a war with aliens and gods. It's too much.”

He gathers her in his arms. Her tears fall all at once as soon as her face touches his chest and she feels him holding her strongly.

“We’ll get through this together. You're not alone, you can talk to me, we’ll figure it out.”

“What if I never get a chance at a normal life like your Peggy had? What if we can’t have this?” 

She’s finally voicing out loud the fears she had felt ever since being reunited with him.

“Stop it okay, first of all  _ you're _ my Peggy. You're here, now, that’s all I care about. I don’t give a shit about timelines and dimensions. I love  _ you _ . I love you with everything I've got. And- and yeah this life you walked into is a freaking circus and it's dangerous. It's all I have to offer. This is our lives.”

He detaches her from him and looks her in the eye, determined to make sure she hears what he has to say. 

“But you've always been part of this, from the beginning. The danger, the madness, you’re strong enough to punch your way through it. Peggy listen to me, you can have the life you want. We will have that normal life if that's what you want.”

“Do you?” Her eyes are searching and pleading him and it hurts more than words can say.

“A family with you is all I ever dreamt of ever since you shot at me in Howard's lab.” 

She laughs and sniffles.

“Don't be dramatic, I shot at your shield. I knew you'd be fine.” 

Her voice is still shaky but Steve is happy to hear her witty comment.

“No you didn't.” He smirks.

“Maybe not. I was really mad at you.” She admits with a small smile.

The softness in Steve’s eyes almost bring back the tears in Peggy’s eyes. She launches herself at him and encircles her arm around his neck. She kisses him until she’s breathless and he’s tugging at her shirt to lift it off her back. He looks at her, standing in front of him, in her underwear, vulnerable, loving, beautiful. She can see in his eyes he wasn’t lying, she’s everything to him and her heart starts to pound in her chest. She pushes him until he falls on the bed and climbs on top of him to kiss him senselessly. 

...

 

“You really meant it, wanting a family?” Peggy asks quietly while caressing his chest.

Her head is resting on his shoulder, they are spread out on the bed above the covers they didn't even bother to undo.

“Of course.” His voice is still clouded by the orgasm. Both of them actually. 

“What did you wait for then? You've been out of the ice for 6 years. You could have find someone.”

Steve turns his head towards her, a frown on his features.

“I didn't want someone. I wanted a family with you.” He tells her earnestly. 

“But you knew it couldn't happen.”

“I guess I always had hope.”

“You are mad.” 

“Did you fall in love with someone else?” He lifts his eyebrow, defying her a little.

“No- I mean, Daniel and I… I don't know, I guess I chose to settle with him to try and move on but I never really loved him. Not like I love you.”

After all she put a continent between them both after getting engaged. She had to admit, that did call for fear of commitment. Steve might have been foolish not to try and move on but she certainly fooled herself too in thinking that’s what she was doing.

“It's the same thing. I just couldn't find the courage in me to find someone else, just like you couldn't open up to him fully.”

She sighs. What on Earth has she done to deserve such a beautiful and honest man, she might never know but she’s not about to question the higher powers that allowed it.

“I never want to leave you Steve.”

“You won't.”

“I want to be with you. I want a family. I want a career. I want all she had. I want it with you.” 

“I don't know if I can be a lot of help for a career. I'm a criminal after all,” he caresses her cheek with a smile before adding with a serious look "but I can give you a family. Kids.”

She brushes her lips against him softly before kissing him fully.

“Kids, plural, you said?” She asks with a smirk when she pushes away, leaning on her elbow.

Steve lifts an eyebrow and his hand travels all the way down to reach between her legs before she stops him shaking her head.

“Let's not make them tonight though. The universe is about to collapse on us and I still don't know a bloody thing about these powers. It's really not a good time to bring a child into this world.”

“In my experience I don’t think there’s ever going to be a good time.”

“There will. I’m sure there will.”

“If you're so certain.” 

He kisses her this time and the hand laying on her stomach starts caressing her again until he reaches around her body to her bottom and presses her naked body against his, his possessive fingers digging deliciously in her flesh.

“Steven Grant Rogers what did I just say!” She laughs trying to get away of his hold.

“We still have a couple of rubbers left, no babies will be conceived tonight.”

“Only two?” She asks in shock. “What happened to that full box? Are you trying to kill me of exhaustion soldier?”

“Just trying to make my C.O. feel good, is that against protocol?”

He starts kissing her neck and she moans unable to repress the heat spreading between her thighs. 

“Actually I'm sure it is.” She whimpers when he starts licking her earlobe and his fingers wander deeper between them. “Good thing the war is over.”

 


End file.
